The 225-hour commercial pilot, 55, had built his JD-2 Dyke Delta in St. Louis and, after several test flights there, took it to Safford, Arizona. Originally intended as a roadable aircraft, the JD-2 had folding wings and sufficiently springy main gear and large tires to allow it to be towed behind a car. It made the 1,400-mile trip without incident.
Sometimes It’s Better Just to Follow the Instructions
Key Takeaways:
- A commercial pilot fatally crashed his homebuilt JD-2 Dyke Delta, with the NTSB citing "improper planning/decision" and the pilot's inability to recover from a stall/mush condition as the probable cause.
- The pilot initially installed a heavier engine and propeller, making the aircraft severely nose-heavy and resulting in self-reported excessively high stall speeds and limited pitch control.
- Despite attempts to correct the balance with ballast, the pilot added unapproved aerodynamic modifications, including trailing edge tabs and a T-tail, which further destabilized the sensitive tailless design and likely contributed to its unpredictable and dangerous stall characteristics.
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