What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1. See attached for narrative. 2. Item #15, type of aircraft: light sport weight shift. 3. Item #23, weather briefing source:mr defino had flown several times earlier in the day and did not get a weather briefing. On Saturday, 08/01/2009, a weight shift control aircraft (N44VZ/airborne windsports edge XT-912-L), crashed near the middle of the island of kauai. Both occupants received substantial injuries and were airlifted out of a canyon and transferred to the state's main trauma center on oahu. The mishap pilot was on top of a broken cloud deck trying to find a hole to descened into a crater. Apparently, he saw what he thought was a hole to descend through and started to spiral down throught it. The hole closed up on him at the same time that severe updrafts/downdrafts caused the weight shift control aircraft to lose control and flip. The pilot reports the force being so strong that it ripped the bar from his hands. The parachute was deployed and the aircraft crashed on the side of a cliff with the parachute getting in a tree, which prevented the mishap aircraft from sliding further down the cliff. Mishap sport pilot CFI is Mr. Thomas gerard defino (cert#3358031). His injuries include two broken legs, broken ribs and face trauma. Mishap passenger/student is privacy data omitted. His injuries include a broken leg, broken ankle and broken ribs. Statements were received from both Mr. Defino and privacy data omitted. The mishap aircraft was in formation with another weight shift control aircraft piloted by sport pilot CFI privacy data omitted and passenger/student privacy data omitted statements were received from both privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted.
As the FAA filed it
1. SEE ATTACHED FOR NARRATIVE. 2. ITEM #15, TYPE OF AIRCRAFT: LIGHT SPORT WEIGHT SHIFT. 3. ITEM #23, WEATHER BRIEFING SOURCE:MR DEFINO HAD FLOWN SEVERAL TIMES EARLIER IN THE DAY AND DID NOT GET A WEATHER BRIEFING. ON SATURDAY, 08/01/2009, A WEIGHT SHIFT CONTROL AIRCRAFT (N44VZ/AIRBORNE WINDSPORTS EDGE XT-912-L), CRASHED NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE ISLAND OF KAUAI. BOTH OCCUPANTS RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL INJURIES AND WERE AIRLIFTED OUT OF A CANYON AND TRANSFERRED TO THE STATE'S MAIN TRAUMA CENTER ON OAHU. THE MISHAP PILOT WAS ON TOP OF A BROKEN CLOUD DECK TRYING TO FIND A HOLE TO DESCENED INTO A CRATER. APPARENTLY, HE SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A HOLE TO DESCEND THROUGH AND STARTED TO SPIRAL DOWN THROUGHT IT. THE HOLE CLOSED UP ON HIM AT THE SAME TIME THAT SEVERE UPDRAFTS/DOWNDRAFTS CAUSED THE WEIGHT SHIFT CONTROL AIRCRAFT TO LOSE CONTROL AND FLIP. THE PILOT REPORTS THE FORCE BEING SO STRONG THAT IT RIPPED THE BAR FROM HIS HANDS. THE PARACHUTE WAS DEPLOYED AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON THE SIDE OF A CLIFF WITH THE PARACHUTE GETTING IN A TREE, WHICH PREVENTED THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT FROM SLIDING FURTHER DOWN THE CLIFF. MISHAP SPORT PILOT CFI IS MR. THOMAS GERARD DEFINO (CERT#3358031). HIS INJURIES INCLUDE TWO BROKEN LEGS, BROKEN RIBS AND FACE TRAUMA. MISHAP PASSENGER/STUDENT IS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. HIS INJURIES INCLUDE A BROKEN LEG, BROKEN ANKLE AND BROKEN RIBS. STATEMENTS WERE RECEIVED FROM BOTH MR. DEFINO AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT WAS IN FORMATION WITH ANOTHER WEIGHT SHIFT CONTROL AIRCRAFT PILOTED BY SPORT PILOT CFI ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND PASSENGER/STUDENT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATEMENTS WERE RECEIVED FROM BOTH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.