20110729015529A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · TL Ultralight Sro STING S3 · Sarasota, FL · July 29, 2011

Date: July 29, 2011 · 12:47 local
Place: Sarasota, FL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N2442
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA11LA427
Reported as: TL Ultralight Sro Sting S3
Reported engine: ROTAX 912ULS
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,400 total15 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days

N2442Registration cancelled Sep 28, 2012 · TL Ultralight Sro STING S3S/N TLUSA174 · Built 2008 Airframe modelTL Ultralight Sro STING S3 Engine modelRotax 912ULS series4 cycle

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.

This was an aircraft checkout flight. The "student" (private pilot) was practicing a power off stall when the airplane entered a spin. The engine failed during the rapid descent. The flight instructor was unsuccessful in the spin recovery attempt. The airplane struck the canopy of a large oak tree before coming to rest at the base of the oak tree. The flight instructor was able to exit the airplane, however due to one of his feet being severely injured laid on the ground next to the airplane for paramedics. The student suffered two broken femur bone fractures and had to be extricated from the airplane. Both pilots were airlifted by helicopter to bayfront medical center in st. petersburg for treatment. Note that this airplane was equipped with a parachute recovery system that the flight instructor not only did not deploy, he did not arm the system in accordance with the taxi checklist.

As the FAA filed it

THIS WAS AN AIRCRAFT CHECKOUT FLIGHT. THE "STUDENT" (PRIVATE PILOT) WAS PRACTICING A POWER OFF STALL WHEN THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A SPIN. THE ENGINE FAILED DURING THE RAPID DESCENT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN THE SPIN RECOVERY ATTEMPT. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE CANOPY OF A LARGE OAK TREE BEFORE COMING TO REST AT THE BASE OF THE OAK TREE.THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRPLANE, HOWEVER DUE TO ONE OF HIS FEET BEING SEVERELY INJURED LAID ON THE GROUND NEXT TO THE AIRPLANE FOR PARAMEDICS. THE STUDENT SUFFERED TWO BROKEN FEMUR BONE FRACTURES AND HAD TO BE EXTRICATED FROM THE AIRPLANE.BOTH PILOTS WERE AIRLIFTED BY HELICOPTER TO BAYFRONT MEDICAL CENTER IN ST. PETERSBURG FOR TREATMENT.NOTE THAT THIS AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A PARACHUTE RECOVERY SYSTEM THAT THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR NOT ONLY DID NOT DEPLOY, HE DID NOT ARM THE SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TAXI CHECKLIST.

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 ERA11LA427Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportSarasota, FLThe inability of the pilot-in-command (PIC) to recover from an inadvertent spin following a stall demonstration for reasons that could not be determined because aircraft and engine examinations did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded recovery…Jul 29, 2011 · Substantial damage