Graham Warwick/ATLANTA
PEREGRINE FLIGHT International (PFI) is proceeding with plans to certificate the Bede BD-10 jet-powered light aircraft after determining the cause of the crash on 30 December 1994, in which the company's founder was killed.
Investigators have concluded that the in-flight break-up of the aircraft was caused by horizontal-stabiliser flutter.
Flutter of the left horizontal stabiliser at 380kt (700km/h) indicated that airspeed caused the stabiliser to fail leading edge down. This caused a violent pitch-up and roll to the left, generating a load factor exceeding 20g, which resulted in catastrophic failure of the left-hand wing. The high load killed the pilot instantaneously, PFI says.
The company says that it has identified the cause of the flutter and redesigned the horizontal stabilisers and repositioned the vertical stabilisers.
The horizontal-stabiliser pivot point has been moved forward and the trim actuator repositioned to add strength and reduce the possibility of flutter, PFI says.
The redesign will be incorporated, in nine BD-10 kitplanes now under construction, the first of which, is scheduled to be flown in May. Minden, Nevada-based PFI says that it is proceeding with plans to certificate the two-seat, single-turbojet BD-10 in 1997.
The company acquired the rights to produce the BD-10 for the general-aviation market from aircraft-designer Bede Jet (Flight International, 4-10 January).
Source: Flight International
