KRnetters Today was a bad day at the Starkville, MS airport. 1st, a experimental R & D Sparrow sailplane from the Raspet Flight Research Lab at Mississippi State University was in a maneuver test today at 6,000 feet when it disintergrated. Both wings tore from the fuselage along with hunks of the fuselage. The pilot fired the BRS. After chute deployment he exited the craft with his personal chute. After a free-fall of several hundered feet he pulled the rip-cord only to have a tangled chute. After about 2,000 ft. fall his chute became untangled and he landed near the hospital. He walked out of the woods and caught a ride back to the airport. The fuselage landed in the back yard of a home in a residential district. Wings and other parts landed in other yards. No one was injured. Caused a lot of excitment in Starkville as many residents observed the entire happening.
2nd. Slight accident in my KR. While taxing to 36 late this evening the right wing tip inpacted a truck parked on the taxiway. The truck had no flashing lights, was grey in color and was in a blind spot (tail dragger you know). While zig-zagging the person who owned the truck was on the opposite side of the taxiway and was a distraction. The KR spun around and impacted the trucks left front fender. Damage was done to the wing tip, the position lights and strobe were torn away and the engine sustained a sudden prop stoppage. Damage was done to the prop tip, and the spinner hub. The impact was great enough to cave in the front right fender of the truck. His insurance will cover the damage. Question? Should the engine be torn down, inspected and rebuilt. Should the engine be replaced as I may not be mentally satisified without a new engine. For you people who have experience with this, what should I do? I feel that I should remove the wing and inspect the attachment fittings. The damage was done to the very tip with torn fiberglass and tip separation (Dan Deihl wing skins) It is fixable. Bill Page [email protected]
