LSA Sapphires Grounded

[Millie]

All LSA Sapphires have been grounded following a nasty incident where the rudder became detached in flight, The Sapphire was flying between the Latrobe Vally and Wangaratta when the top rudder hinge gave way and the rudder fell off (held on only by rudder cables) as a result directional control was lost and had to make a forced landing the pilot walked away but sadly the Sapphire was destroyed.

 

A warning to all Sapphire owners check your rudder top mounting collar spigot, it appears some were fabricated from a one piece nylon block or some other plastic material and relys only on the integrity and strength of the nylon to hold the rudder in place, the lower mounting is a simple vertical pin that engages into the bottom of the rudder post so once the top collar fails there is nothing stopping the rudder except gravity to depart.

 

Wayne Matthews RA AUS Technical Officer has grounded all LSA Sapphires until Steve Dumesney issues a fix.

 

If you know any one with a Sapphire please let them know they may have a problem and to check to see if their top mounting is plastic (scrape the paint off a section it will probably be a white nylon material) if in doubt contact either Wayne or Steve Dumesney.

 

I checked mine and was rather taken back when I saw what looked like a bit of bread board material holding it in place and taking all the rudder flight loads.

 

Anthony

 

 

[turboplanner]

Great to see the decisive action taken, shouldn't be too long before all are back in the air again safely.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Big kudos to the brave pilot who landed the Saphire in that condition. The flapping rudder must have been putting some interesting input into the rudder pedals, and maybe even the elevator !.................well done................Maj...

 

 

[Tomo]

G'day Anthony, could you post a photo of your rudder assembly? I've got a Solitaire which is like a Sapphire but I do believe it's mounted differently. I would check as I can't quite remember however the plane is not with me at the moment. Just curious.

 

Thanks.

 

 

[Millie]

Hello Tomo

 

I have no idea how to download a photograph from my Ipad onto this site I tried but doesn't seem to work for me, but if you like send me your email address and I'll email them to you I think you can send it on a private post.

 

Anthony

 

 

[David Isaac]

Just a note of irrelevance to the subject but a sapphire is not an LSA, they existed long before LSA. Are they not simply 95-10 aircraft?

 

 

[dodo]

25 rego usually, not 10. And they were sold as the Sapphire LSA - that terminology has been going a while (for example the Jabiru LSA 55 was built around the same time, I think)

 

dodo

 

 

[cooperplace]

Big kudos to the brave pilot who landed the Saphire in that condition. The flapping rudder must have been putting some interesting input into the rudder pedals, and maybe even the elevator !.................well done................Maj...

yes, agree, well done to the pilot, the plane doesn't matter, people do.

 

 

[Millie]

Just a note of irrelevance to the subject but a sapphire is not an LSA, they existed long before LSA. Are they not simply 95-10 aircraft?

Hello David LSA are very much alive and current yes some Sapphires were made before thhe LSA Catogary was instigated but many later models are LSA including kit built 19 Category.

See CASR 1998 21.186

 

Anthony

 

 

[Millie]

Hello David

 

Made a mistake well after midnight when I made the last post.

 

The LSA catagory is actually covered in CASR Part 21 Sections AC 21-41(0). and AC 21-42(1)

 

Wide awake now

 

Anthony.