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Long EZ Written Off


Sydmoe

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In case your interested. Apparently there was an accident @ KSMO in Cali.

 

Live ATC has the audio, although it doesn't indicate much.

 

Here are a couple links with info

 

http://www.velozia.com/?p=2335

 

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=66781

Thats his second crash because of engine failure. very lucky guy. the first one should have got him too. his vari ez had the engine stop and he crashed onto a garage door in the same city. Fire dept. had called the coroner when they arrived at the seen but then heard bill call to get him out as he was hanging upside down in the plane. he was trying to run the engine with no pump on an engine that required a pump. O-235 I think . don't know the whole story this time, just that he had just done some engine work.

Evolultion Eze RG -a two place side by side-200 Knots on 200 HP. A&P / pilot for over 30 years

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Thats his second crash because of engine failure. very lucky guy. the first one should have got him too. his vari ez had the engine stop and he crashed onto a garage door in the same city. Fire dept. had called the coroner when they arrived at the seen but then heard bill call to get him out as he was hanging upside down in the plane. he was trying to run the engine with no pump on an engine that required a pump. O-235 I think . don't know the whole story this time, just that he had just done some engine work.

Not to poke fun at an awful situation but from what you say it sounds like he has his crash landing down pat!

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Not to poke fun at an awful situation but from what you say it sounds like he has his crash landing down pat!

He must be doing something right. but he might want to leave the mechanics to someone else. by the way he is Ok, i here.

Evolultion Eze RG -a two place side by side-200 Knots on 200 HP. A&P / pilot for over 30 years

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Here is an excerpt from someone who replied to an online article on the crash.

 

"Anonymous said...

I was there and witnessed it. The Long EZ took off and seemed to have a seriously high angle of attack as if attempting to climb over the clouds at about 1000'. The engine sputtered and he turned left into the crosswinds which were at the time about 5 knots. he proceeded into left downwind and over the soccer field that sits on the southeast corenr of SMO as the engine kept on revving and then sputtering he turned into bast very abrubtly about 75' off the ground onto runway 21 where he bounced and skidded right off the runway to his right and it seemed the plane broke into a few peices but bunched together. there was no fire. Pilot/patient was transported BLS about 30 minutes after the incident. No IV lines had been started and only 2 EMT's were pushing the gurney meaning that it was probraly a broken bone(s) or similar. Did not seem ALS."

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Another interestng bit of back ground info from the Live ATC forum

 

"A plane trying to make an emergency landing crashed today on the runway at Santa Monica Airport, authorities said. The single-engine Long-EZ departed on what was described as a local flight from the airport about 2:45 p.m. and lost power almost immediately..."

 

Plane crashed and skidded off the runway. No fire. Pilot survived but was extricated from the wreckage by responders. Condition unknown.

 

 

* William Davenport had a previous crash in 1995 with property damage which led to lawsuits. He felt his insurer should cover these. His insurer balked at his insurance claim. He had made alterations to the design of the fuel system which he failed to have recertified by the FAA.

 

extract: Because Davenport made several modifications to these plans, he refers to his hybrid design as the "Davenport Long EZ."

 

District court agreed that they were not on the hook. So he appealed. And he lost that too.

 

Here is the decision on the appeal:

http://www.ellison-fluid-systems.com/homebuilt_court_decision.htm

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1995 Accident:

 

Pilot Badly Injured as Light Plane Hits Garage

http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-08/local/me-63717_1_santa-monica-airport

 

Crash Raises Neighbors' Concerns on Flight Safety

http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-11/news/we-64969_1_santa-monica-airport

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Another interestng bit of back ground info from the Live ATC forum

 

"A plane trying to make an emergency landing crashed today on the runway at Santa Monica Airport, authorities said. The single-engine Long-EZ departed on what was described as a local flight from the airport about 2:45 p.m. and lost power almost immediately..."

 

Plane crashed and skidded off the runway. No fire. Pilot survived but was extricated from the wreckage by responders. Condition unknown.

 

 

* William Davenport had a previous crash in 1995 with property damage which led to lawsuits. He felt his insurer should cover these. His insurer balked at his insurance claim. He had made alterations to the design of the fuel system which he failed to have recertified by the FAA.

 

extract: Because Davenport made several modifications to these plans, he refers to his hybrid design as the "Davenport Long EZ."

 

District court agreed that they were not on the hook. So he appealed. And he lost that too.

 

Here is the decision on the appeal:

http://www.ellison-fluid-systems.com/homebuilt_court_decision.htm

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back then you had to get major alterations approved by the FAA. you no longer have to do that if your operating limitations states you only require a 5 hour test flight and a sign off by the testing pilot

Evolultion Eze RG -a two place side by side-200 Knots on 200 HP. A&P / pilot for over 30 years

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The more I read about this Davenport guy the more he reminds me of Wiley Coyote

 

Another Forum excerpt

--------------------------------------------------------------

From ttj at Live ATC.........

 

Hi guys,I hang out at SMO for 20 years,I know Bill davenport for that long.

Quite a charecter.Besides the 2 crashes he has numerous gear ups,fuel starvation

no telling what else.Today 8/10/09 bill is going to have his Pelvis put back together.

He has broken ribs,had slight internal bleeding,they were concerned wiith that.

I took his wife to UCLA there that day, I saw it crash.I was there for the first one as well.This guy don't get it.I like him as a friend but stay clear of his very talkative ways.He changes his stories many times.I really hope they pull his Ticket.

Knowing him he'll keep going.He has blader Cancer ,has his bladder scraped at

times.

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Wow .... a Vari-Eze down with engine issues in Nort Augusta, SC

 

http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/52838977.html

 

 

The wreckage looks really bad but the pilot came out well.

 

Followup article:

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/latest/lat_700925.shtml?v=0751

T Mann - Loooong-EZ/20B Infinity R/G Chpts 18

Velocity/RG N951TM

Mann's Airplane Factory

We add rocket's to everything!

4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 9, 10, 14, 19, 20 Done

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Sounds as though there may be a mechanic from the NTSB that will troubleshoot this one for him.

about all the NTSB or the FAA does on investigating crashes of experimental aircraft is help get someone to put the remains in the dumpster.

Evolultion Eze RG -a two place side by side-200 Knots on 200 HP. A&P / pilot for over 30 years

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