Aircraft Downed and Totaled... With Only Minor Injuries

One of the developmental prototypes of the Maverick LSA/Flying Car went down this weekend after its parachute canopy suffered some mode of malfunction (as yet unexplained) and went down with minor injuries to pilot Ray Siebring and his passenger.

The aircraft, which mates a small jeep-like ground vehicle with a pusher prop and a ram-air parachute canopy, for lift, experienced an uncommanded turn less than 10 minutes into the Friday flight requiring full opposite corrective control to maintain directional authority... but also produced an excessive sink rate which could not be arrested before the aircraft impacted the ground. Siebring, in discussions with ANN on Sunday, does not have a probable cause for the accident as yet, but noted that the aircraft was flying well, but slightly out of trim, at 500 feet in fairly calm conditions before the malfunction occurred. The vehicle is pretty much totaled, according to Siebring, but appears to have done an admirable job of protecting its occupants. 

The Vernon, BC, accident will be under investigation by Canada's TSB.

The aircraft is available as either an S-LSA or E-LSA and retails for $94000. The vehicle boasts a cruise speed of 40 mph, a Rate of Climb of 600 fpm at gross, and 1,200 fpm solo, and a flying range of 3 hours. Due to the high-lift capabilities of the parachute canopy, the vehicle needs only 300 feet to takeoff and land, and reports a service ceiling of 10,000 feet. For terrestrial operations, the maverick offers a 'Robust' suspension for off-road use, but can none-the-less be licensed for public road use. The company reports road speeds of 0 to 100 mph and the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 Sec (+/-). For on-road operations, the Maverick offers a 450 mile range with 30 MPG (highway -- and dare we say it... your mileage may vary).

FMI: www.mavericklsa.com