ASN Aircraft accident Grob G.180A SPn D-CGSP Mindelheim-Mattsies Airport
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Wednesday 29 November 2006
Time:13:15
Type:Silhouette image of generic GSPN model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Grob G.180A SPn
Operator:Grob Aerospace
Registration: D-CGSP
MSN: 90002
First flight: 2006-09-29 (2 months)
Total airframe hrs:28
Cycles:40
Engines: 2 Williams International FJ44-3A
Crew:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:1,4 km (0.9 mls) ESE of Mindelheim-Mattsies Airport (   Germany)
Phase: Maneuvering (MNV)
Nature:Demonstration
Departure airport:Mindelheim-Mattsies Airfield (EDMN), Germany
Destination airport:Mindelheim-Mattsies Airfield (EDMN), Germany
Narrative:
The second prototype of the Grob SPn business jet was destroyed in an accident near Mindelheim-Mattsies Airport, Germany. Chief test pilot Gerard Guillaumaud was killed in the accident.
On the day of the accident, November 29, 2006, the airplane had conducted a 60-minute test flight from the factory airfield of manufacturer, Mindelheim-Mattsies Airport. Various flight maneuvers and system tests were completed and the airplane landed at 11:40. The aircraft was parked on the apron and prepared for the next flight.
This flight would be a demonstration flight for a group of visitors with several fly-bys. The jet took off from runway 33 at 13:12 and the pilot flew a right hand circuit in and out of clouds. As it was lining up for a fly-by parts from the stabilizer separated. The pilot lost control and the airplane impacted a field.
Given the weather circumstances, the flight should have been conducted using Reduced Flight Display specifications. These included a maximum speed of 200 knots. The probable speed of the accident airplane was between 240 and 270 knots. This speed was below the maximum allowed speed for flutter tests, 297 kts.

The manufacturer had changed the design of the control surfaces on this second prototype due to anti-icing requirements and to provide more roll authority.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: The accident occurred because there was an in-flight separation of the tailplane due to flutter and the plane subsequently was no longer controllable. The circumstances that led to the flutter could not be determined clearly due to lack of flight data and limited investigation.

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: BFU Germany
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 3 years and 5 months
Accident number: BFU 3X181-0/06
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Tail failure
Loss of control

Sources:
» Grob Aerospace press release
» Structural failure eyed in Grob crash (Aviation International News, Jan 2007)


Follow-up / safety actions

BFU issued 6 Safety Recommendations

Show all...

Photos

photo of Grob-G-180A-SPn-D-CGSP
accident date: 29-11-2006
type: Grob G.180A SPn
registration: D-CGSP
 

Map

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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