Adopted May 29, 1944

File No. 5159-43

REPORT OF THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD

on the

Investigation of an Accident Involving aircraft During a Local Instruction Flight

An accident which occurred about one-half mile east of the Ford-Lansing Airport, Lansing Illinois, at approximately 12:05 p.m. on December 20, 1943 resulted in serious injury to Instructor Norman Albert Medalis and minor injury to his student, Norman Brazes Barnhizer. Medalis held a commercial plot certificate with singe-engine land, 0-80 h.p., and flight instructor ratings. He had flown approximately 1100 hours, however, this was his first flight in type airplane involved. Barnhizer held a student pilot certificate and had accumulated approximately 90 hours of flight time, 30 of which owned by the student, was demolished.

Medalis and Barnhizer took off from the Ford-Lansing airport at 10:30 a.m. for Barnhizer to practice maneuvers preparatory to taking his flight test for a private pilot certificate. Approximately one and one-half hours later they returned to the airport and entered the traffic pattern on the downwind log t an altitude of about 600 feet. Shortly after throttling the engine for a 180 degree gliding approach to lend, the elevator controls became inoperative, whereupon the instructor took over the controls. The aircraft assume a diving angle of about 40 degrees when continued until the left and struck the ground. The plane then cartwheeled and care to rest in inverted position about 175 feet iron the first point of impact.

Examination of the elevator controls revealed that the 1/4 inch bolt which holds the push-pull tube and bell crank in place (locate just below and to the rear of the pilot's seat) was missing. The aircraft had been flown approximately 13 hours since the last periodic inspector. It is difficult to understand low a nut, properly cotter-keyed, could work loose and detach itself from the bolt, allowing the bolt to drop out. However, the men was responsible for the less line inspection state that in October the nut was on the bold and the cotter-pin ends were bent for safety.

The probable cause of this accident was failure of the elevator for control system due to loss of a clevis bolt in Flight.

BY THE BOARD

/s/ Fred A. Toombs

Secretary.