Narrative:

I had purchased the experimental homebuilt single seat biplane in oklahoma 4 months ago. It was trailered to colorado with the wings removed. The next condition inspection was not due until oct/99. Over the last 2 months, I inspected the airplane to the best of my ability, replacing, repairing, and reviewing items as necessary. I found that rigging was particularly challenging due to my lack of experience, and did it over several times. Finally I determined that the aircraft was in satisfactory condition to proceed with taxi checks -- slow, then faster, then if nothing abnormal was evident, to fly. I did perform slow speed taxiing, then took the runway to check out the behavior at higher speed, perhaps with the tailwheel off the ground. Shortly after increasing power, I allowed an unanticipated gust of wind to lift a wing, then overctled the aircraft, resulting in minor abrasion damage to the lower wingtips and aileron tips. I aborted the activity and asked an a&P to attend to patching the fabric where required. During the course of his work, he noticed that I had forgotten to install critical cotter pins in fasteners in the aileron control system, on one end of a landing wire, and that rigging and control cable tension were unsatisfactory. Clearly, and in hindsight 1) having redone the assembly several times I was too close to the work to effectively perform a final check, and 2) notwithstanding my best efforts to research and understand rigging over the last few months, my work was not up to standards and I should have availed the assistance of a qualified airframe mechanic. Hard lessons to learn, but learned permanently for that.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT LOSES CTL OF HIS HOME BUILT ACFT DURING HIGH SPD TAXI TEST.

Narrative: I HAD PURCHASED THE EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT SINGLE SEAT BIPLANE IN OKLAHOMA 4 MONTHS AGO. IT WAS TRAILERED TO COLORADO WITH THE WINGS REMOVED. THE NEXT CONDITION INSPECTION WAS NOT DUE UNTIL OCT/99. OVER THE LAST 2 MONTHS, I INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, REPLACING, REPAIRING, AND REVIEWING ITEMS AS NECESSARY. I FOUND THAT RIGGING WAS PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING DUE TO MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE, AND DID IT OVER SEVERAL TIMES. FINALLY I DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT WAS IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION TO PROCEED WITH TAXI CHKS -- SLOW, THEN FASTER, THEN IF NOTHING ABNORMAL WAS EVIDENT, TO FLY. I DID PERFORM SLOW SPD TAXIING, THEN TOOK THE RWY TO CHK OUT THE BEHAVIOR AT HIGHER SPD, PERHAPS WITH THE TAILWHEEL OFF THE GND. SHORTLY AFTER INCREASING PWR, I ALLOWED AN UNANTICIPATED GUST OF WIND TO LIFT A WING, THEN OVERCTLED THE ACFT, RESULTING IN MINOR ABRASION DAMAGE TO THE LOWER WINGTIPS AND AILERON TIPS. I ABORTED THE ACTIVITY AND ASKED AN A&P TO ATTEND TO PATCHING THE FABRIC WHERE REQUIRED. DURING THE COURSE OF HIS WORK, HE NOTICED THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO INSTALL CRITICAL COTTER PINS IN FASTENERS IN THE AILERON CTL SYS, ON ONE END OF A LNDG WIRE, AND THAT RIGGING AND CTL CABLE TENSION WERE UNSATISFACTORY. CLRLY, AND IN HINDSIGHT 1) HAVING REDONE THE ASSEMBLY SEVERAL TIMES I WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE WORK TO EFFECTIVELY PERFORM A FINAL CHK, AND 2) NOTWITHSTANDING MY BEST EFFORTS TO RESEARCH AND UNDERSTAND RIGGING OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, MY WORK WAS NOT UP TO STANDARDS AND I SHOULD HAVE AVAILED THE ASSISTANCE OF A QUALIFIED AIRFRAME MECH. HARD LESSONS TO LEARN, BUT LEARNED PERMANENTLY FOR THAT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.