THE HOME BUILT ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A KAWASAKI TA-440A ENG & AN UNSPECIFIED PROPELLER, BOTH OF WHICH WERE DIFFERENT THAN THE ORIGINAL PLANS CALLED FOR. THE PLT STATED THAT ON THE 1ST TEST FLT WITH THE NEW ENG & PROP COMBINATION, THE ENG RPM & THRUST WOULD NOT INCREASE SUFFICIENTLY TO CLIMB, EVEN THOUGH THE ENG HAD A HIGHER HORSE POWER RATING THAN THE ONE THAT WAS DESIGNED FOR THIS PLANE. HE TURNED AROUND & TRIED TO LAND BACK ON THE ARPT. HOWEVER, THE PLT STATED THAT THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT & CONTACTED THE GROUND SHORT OF THE RWY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED ON ROCKY TERRAIN. THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 220 DEG AT 5 GUSTING 10 KTS. ALSO, HE STATED THAT THE TEMP WAS 94 DEG, THE DENSITY ALT WAS ABOUT 4000 FT & THAT HE SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING TO FLY THE TEST FLT WHEN THE AIR WAS COOL.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..GUSTS

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..DOWNDRAFT

Contributing Factors

TERRAIN CONDITION..ROUGH/UNEVEN

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