The private pilot stated that, immediately after takeoff, the McKenna SD-1A’s left wing felt “extremely heavy” and required “an exceptional amount of right aileron” to maintain level flight.
During a precautionary landing near Juneau, Wisconsin, the airplane bounced, turned left, and the left main landing gear collapsed.
The pilot had recently reinstalled the wings, however he made no measurements during the reinstallation, and the mechanic who signed off on the condition inspection did not confirm the wings’ angle of incidence.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the angle of incidence was incorrect. Given this was the first flight since the reinstallation of the wings, it is likely the incorrect angle of incidence led to the pilot’s difficulty controlling the airplane.
Probable cause: The pilot’s difficulty controlling the airplane due to his incorrect reinstallation of the wings, which led to a bounced precautionary landing. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the pilot and the mechanic to verify the wings’ angle of incidence.
NTSB Identification: CEN17LA224
This June 2017 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
That one should qualify for a Darwin Award. To do such a major operation on an aircraft and not do some basic checks to insure that it was done properly is just asking for trouble. Would something so basic as an incidence check not be required on a certified aircraft after having the wings off of an aircraft?