ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 72657
Last updated: 18 May 2013
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| Date: | 13-FEB-2010 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | The Airplane Factory (Pty) Ltd Sling |
| Operator: | The Airplane Factory (Pty) Ltd |
| Registration: | ZU-TAF |
| C/n / msn: | 002 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | off the coast of Tinley Manor, north of Durban, KZN -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | FAVG (Virginia) |
| FAVG (Virginia) |
The aircraft was undergoing spin testing. Initial spin tests with one pilot and half tanks went well. Further tests were carried out with full tanks and two pilots on board, which put the centre of gravity slightly aft. During a sustained spin test, the aircraft entered a flat spin from which they could not recover before reaching a height of 4,000 ft. The engine was cut and the ballistic chute was deployed, and although the rocket fired succesfully, the chute did not deploy properly. At approximately 3,000 ft the two pilots who were wearing parachutes, opened the canopy and bailed out. One sustained a cracked vertebrae in his neck when his chute deployed. They both landed on the beach. The aircraft in the meantime, no doubt as a result of the now forward centre of gravity, recovered from the spin, but crashed into the sea in a descending turn. The aircraft floated for about two hours before sinking. A recovery effort is underway, but the exact location of the aircraft is not known.
Sources:
1. Plane crashes in Durban
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Sling-LSA/1617932/L (photo)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Feb-2010 06:43 | Topaz | Added |
| 14-Feb-2010 07:06 | RobertMB | Updated [Source] |
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