N596AK

On July 31, 1997, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, an experimental homebuilt Iverslie, Kit Fox airplane, N596AK, crashed during landing at the Birchwood Airport, Chugiak, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Birchwood Airport, about 1315.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on August 1, 1997, at 1030, the pilot reported he was conducting touch and go landings on runway 19. Before the accident landing, the pilot decided to deploy the airplane's flaperons at an intermediate setting. After the airplane touched down, and while traveling at about 30 knots, he retracted the flaperons. The airplane then swerved to the right and ground looped. The right main landing gear was bent and broken. The right wing struck the ground, bending the wing spar.

The pilot indicated he had accrued 88.7 hours of total aeronautical experience, with about 25 hours of experience in the accident airplane since it was built. He also indicated the accident flight was his first use of the flaperons. The pilot reported the use of flaperons limits the effectiveness of the ailerons. Once the flaperons are retracted, the ailerons regain their full authority.