20110805018299A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Fairgrove, MI · August 5, 2011

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Date: August 5, 2011 · 20:15 local
Place: Fairgrove, MI
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: Ultralight vehicle (Part 103)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1

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.

privacy data omitted Stated that he took off from a stubble field heading west and after leveling off at about 100' altitude he began a left turn. After making a left turn and then heading south the engine began losing rpm's. to try to get back to the field that he took off from he had to continue making a left turn. As he was making a left turn, the engine continued to lose rpm's so that the ultralight could not maintain altitude. He was still attempting to try to get back to the field that he took off from but he first had to fly under a powerline as he didn't have enough power to fly over it. As he was approaching the powerline and continuing making a left turn his left wing tip brushed the tops of the sugarbeets in the field causing the ultralight to crash into the ground.

As the FAA filed it

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE TOOK OFF FROM A STUBBLE FIELD HEADING WEST AND AFTER LEVELING OFF AT ABOUT 100' ALTITUDE HE BEGAN A LEFT TURN. AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN AND THEN HEADING SOUTH THE ENGINE BEGAN LOSING RPM'S. TO TRY TO GET BACK TO THE FIELD THAT HE TOOK OFF FROM HE HAD TO CONTINUE MAKING A LEFT TURN. AS HE WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE RPM'S SO THAT THE ULTRALIGHT COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. HE WAS STILL ATTEMPTING TO TRY TO GET BACK TO THE FIELD THAT HE TOOK OFF FROM BUT HE FIRST HAD TO FLY UNDER A POWERLINE AS HE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO FLY OVER IT. AS HE WAS APPROACHING THE POWERLINE AND CONTINUING MAKING A LEFT TURN HIS LEFT WING TIP BRUSHED THE TOPS OF THE SUGARBEETS IN THE FIELD CAUSING THE ULTRALIGHT TO CRASH INTO THE GROUND.