CHI85FA218

Factual narrative

THE ACFT INVOLVED WAS EXPERIMENTALLY CONFIGURED WITH 4-BLADED PROPS AND WAS ON A TEST FLT TO DETERMINE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS FOLLOWING A THROTTLE CHOP TO IDLE POWER AT 50 FT AGL. THIS MANEUVER HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED TWICE ON THE TEST FLT WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON THE THIRD LANDING, THE PLT LATER STATED, THAT HE RETARDED THE THROTTLES MORE BRISKLY THAN ON PREVIOUS APPROACHES. OBSERVERS ON THE PLANE AND ON THE GROUND THEN SAW A YAW AND A WING DROP. THE RIGHT GEAR STRUCK THE RWY FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT AND NOSE GEARS. ALL THREE GEAR THEN SHEARED OFF. THE ACFT SLID TO A STOP OFF THE RWY 975 FT FROM INITIAL IMPACT. A POST-ACCIDENT TEARDOWN OF THE PROPS REVEALED NO PREEXISTING MISADJUSTMENTS OR ABNORMALITIES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12