20130729014389A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Airborne Windsports PTY EDGE XT-912-L · Red Bluff, CA · July 29, 2013

Date: July 29, 2013 · 09:50 local
Place: Red Bluff, CA
Airport: Red Bluff Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N123FJ
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13LA347
Reported as: Airborne Windsports PTY Edge XT-912-L
Reported engine: ROTAX 912UL
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 412 total7 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days

N123FJRegistration cancelled Mar 1, 2018 · Airborne Windsports PTY EDGE XT-912-LS/N XT-912-0294 · Built 2008 Airframe modelAirborne Windsports PTY EDGE XT-912-L Engine modelRotax 912UL 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.

On July 29, 2013, at about 0950 pacific daylight time, a light sport weight-shift-control aircraft, N123FJ, crashed at Red Bluff Municipal Airport (rbl) in Red Bluff, CA. The certificated private pilot/owner, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries on impact. The wreckage from the destroyed aircraft was within a radius of approximately 500 feet.

The personal flight was conducted in day visual meteorological conditions (VMC), and was destined for chico municipal airport (cic) in chico, CA.

According to witnesses, after departure, the aircraft climbed to about 75 feet above ground level before it made a sharp turn to the west and impacted the ground in a steep nose-down attitude at a high rate of descent. Witness statements indicated that the aircraft may have stalled shortly after departure.

No pre-impact anomalies were reported.

This report may be amended pending further evidence.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 29, 2013, AT ABOUT 0950 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A LIGHT SPORT WEIGHT-SHIFT-CONTROL AIRCRAFT, N123FJ, CRASHED AT RED BLUFF MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (RBL) IN RED BLUFF, CA. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES ON IMPACT. THE WRECKAGE FROM THE DESTROYED AIRCRAFT WAS WITHIN A RADIUS OF APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET.

THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED IN DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC), AND WAS DESTINED FOR CHICO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (CIC) IN CHICO, CA.

ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 75 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL BEFORE IT MADE A SHARP TURN TO THE WEST AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A STEEP NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE AT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. WITNESS STATEMENTS INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT MAY HAVE STALLED SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE.

NO PRE-IMPACT ANOMALIES WERE REPORTED.

THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED PENDING FURTHER EVIDENCE.

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 WPR13LA347Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportRed Bluff, CAThe pilot's failure to properly secure himself in the cockpit with the seat belt, which resulted in his inability to control the airplane after takeoff.Jul 29, 2013 · Destroyed