Don Nolan-Proxmire

Headquarters, Washington, DC November 7, 1995

(Phone: 202/358-1983)

Don Haley
Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA
(Phone: 805/258-3449)

RELEASE: 95-203

ICE CAUSE OF X-31 CRASH

A Mishap Investigation Board studying the cause of the X-

31 experimental aircraft accident on January 19, 1995, has
concluded that an accumulation of ice in or on the unheated
pitot-static system of the aircraft provided false airspeed
information to the flight control computers, causing the
aircraft to go out of control and crash.

The aircraft was one of two X-31s operated by an

international test organization located at NASA's Dryden
Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA. It was being flown back
to Edwards Air Force Base following a research flight when it
departed from controlled flight at an altitude of 20,000 feet
and crashed near the northern boundary of Edwards. The pilot,
Karl-Heinz Lang, Federal Republic of Germany, ejected safely.

The pitot-static pressure system, using a small tube

called a Kiel probe at the nose of the aircraft, provided air
speed data to instruments in the cockpit, the aircraft's
flight control computers, and to the mission control center
monitors at Dryden.

Near the final portion of the approximately 43-minute

flight, ice formed in or around the pitot tube. This led to a
false reading of total air pressure data and caused the
aircraft's flight control system to automatically misconfigure
for a lower speed. The aircraft suddenly began oscillating in
all axes, pitched up to over 90 degrees angle of attack and
became uncontrollable, prompting the pilot to eject.

The Board recommended that training be conducted on the

system safety analysis process, that procedures be implemented
to assure all test team members receive configuration change
notices, and that improvements be made in the remaining X-31
to prevent similar single-point failures from causing
catastrophic consequences.

-more-
-2-

The X-31 was being flown to study the use of thrust

vectoring as a way of enhancing the maneuverability of future
fighter aircraft. The project was managed by the Advanced
Research Projects Agency (ARPA), and included participation by
NASA, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, Rockwell Aerospace, the
Federal Republic of Germany and Daimler-Benz (formerly
Deutsche Aerospace).

The initial flight phase of the highly successful program,

which began in October 1990, was based at Palmdale, CA, where
the aircraft were assembled by Rockwell Aerospace.

The mission flown by Lang on Jan. 19 was the 524th of the

X-31 program. The flight set a record for the most flights of
any experimental aircraft flown at Dryden. After the
accident, the remaining X-31 was brought back to flight status
and in June appeared at the Paris Air Show. Reviewers of the
Air Show commented that "the X-31 manoeuvers steal the show"
and "the Rockwell/DASAA X-31's daily flight display brought
all other activity at the show to a stop."

-end-

Editors Note: Images of the X-31 aircraft are available via the
Internet at the Dryden Flight Research Center's on-line
photo archive. The World Wide Web URL is:

http://www.dfrf.nasa.gov/PhotoServer/photoServer.html

NASA press releases and other information are available

automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message
to domo@hq.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the
subject line) users should type the words "subscribe press-
release" (no quotes). The system will reply with a
confirmation via E-mail of each subscription. A second
automatic message will include additional information on the
service. Questions should be directed to (202) 358-4043.