Test Pilot

My airplane has wingtip-mounted fuel tanks, installed under a supplemental type certificate (STC). In many ways, theyve transformed and improved the machine by adding greater loading flexibility, thanks in part to a gross-weight increase. What drag they produce isnt noticeable, and the additional endurance means the airplane is faster over some trips than it was before. For many of my destinations, I can depart with full tanks, fly to my destination, shoot an approach, miss it and fly home with reserves.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Thursday, November 29, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A fatal accident occurred during the first flight of a modified Bellanca Citabria, where the pilot conducted stall practice at an dangerously low altitude, leading to impact with terrain.
The NTSB determined the probable cause was the pilot's operation at an altitude too low for recovery from an intentional stall, with contributing factors including sun glare and a lack of manufacturer guidance on the modified aircraft's stall characteristics.
The article emphasizes the critical importance of performing post-modification test flights at sufficient altitude and thoroughly understanding potential changes in an aircraft's handling, particularly its stall performance.

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My airplane has wingtip-mounted fuel tanks, installed under a supplemental type certificate (STC). In many ways, they’ve transformed and improved the machine by adding greater loading flexibility, thanks in part to a gross-weight increase. What drag they produce isn’t noticeable, and the additional endurance means the airplane is faster over some trips than it was before. For many of my destinations, I can depart with full tanks, fly to my destination, shoot an approach, miss it and fly home with reserves.

But the first time I flew the airplane after the installation was complete and signed off, I did slow flight and stalls to determine if the airplane’s low-speed characteristics had changed. After leak checks, I topped all the tanks and took off solo, heading for the practice area. I climbed to 3000 feet, cleared the area and flew level turns with the stall warner on for about five minutes. Then I pulled the power off and kept easing back on the yoke until the stall broke and the airplane fell off on a wing. I recovered, did one with some power and went home. My brief career as a test pilot was over. With the tip tanks installed, the airplane basically handled as it did before, and I was satisfied. But it just as easily could have gone pear shaped. I was, quite literally, the first to fly what was essentially an untested airplane.