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:
- The fatal crash of the homebuilt JD-2 Dyke Delta was attributed by the NTSB to the pilot's "improper planning/decision," leading to an inability to recover from a stall/mush condition.
- The pilot made several unapproved modifications to the aircraft, including installing a heavier engine and propeller, adding ballast, and incorporating non-standard trailing edge tabs and a T-tail to counteract persistent nose-heaviness.
- These alterations likely compromised the aircraft's delicate aerodynamic stability, resulting in an abnormally high stall speed and observed tendencies for uncommanded wing drops.
- The accident underscores the critical importance of adhering to design specifications and the dangers of extensive, unapproved modifications in experimental aircraft, especially for aerodynamically sensitive designs.
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