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20040817028299A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr T-BIRD TBT06 · Gobles, MI · August 17, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 17, 2004 · 20:10 local
Place
Gobles, MI
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N655DM
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI04LA231
Reported as
Amtr TBIRDTBT06
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N655DMRegistration cancelled May 15, 2015 · Merk Stephen T-BIRD TBT06S/N TBA-1008 · Built 1997Airframe modelMerk Stephen T-BIRD TBT06Engine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Mark eggleston, the owner, had asked dwight fleming if he could teach him how to fly. Dwight said yes as he had been flying ultra lights for about 20 years. Neither pilot knew that this aircraft required a pilots certificate to fly. When mark bought the aircraft from golden circle air in Iowa, they indicated to him that he did not need to have the registration renewed in his name. They did not offer or even mention log books and required maintenance. Mark has had this aircraft sitting in his hangar for two years waiting until he could learn to fly. This flight was the second time that he has flown in the aircraft. They departed his 1700 foot turf runway on the south side of M-43 and climbed to 100 to 200 feet above the trees on the north side of M-43 when they got caught in a down draft or a wind shear which was caused by a severe thunder storm located about 5 miles north of the field they had departed from. The aircraft made a rapid descent striking the top of a tree. The aircraft came to rest about 25 feet from the tree they had hit with the right wing collapsed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MARK EGGLESTON, THE OWNER, HAD ASKED DWIGHT FLEMING IF HE COULD TEACH HIM HOW TO FLY. DWIGHT SAID YES AS HE HAD BEEN FLYING ULTRA LIGHTS FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS. NEITHER PILOT KNEW THAT THIS AIRCRAFT REQUIRED A PILOTS CERTIFICATE TO FLY. WHEN MARK BOUGHT THE AIRCRAFT FROM GOLDEN CIRCLE AIR IN IOWA, THEY INDICATED TO HIM THAT HE DID NOT NEED TO HAVE THE REGISTRATION RENEWED IN HIS NAME. THEY DID NOT OFFER OR EVEN MENTION LOG BOOKS AND REQUIRED MAINTENANCE. MARK HAS HAD THIS AIRCRAFT SITTING IN HIS HANGAR FOR TWO YEARS WAITING UNTIL HE COULD LEARN TO FLY. THIS FLIGHT WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT HE HAS FLOWN IN THE AIRCRAFT. THEY DEPARTED HIS 1700 FOOT TURF RUNWAY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF M-43 AND CLIMBED TO 100 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE TREES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF M-43 WHEN THEY GOT CAUGHT IN A DOWN DRAFT OR A WIND SHEAR WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A SEVERE THUNDER STORM LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH OF THE FIELD THEY HAD DEPARTED FROM. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A RAPID DESCENT STRIKING THE TOP OF A TREE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ABOUT 25 FEET FROM THE TREE THEY HAD HIT WITH THE RIGHT WING COLLAPSED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI04LA231Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGobles, MIThe pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions which resulted in an encounter with a downdraft that exceeded the climb capabilities of the airplane. The downdraft and the trees were factors.Aug 17, 2004 · Substantial damage