What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
4.3.15) FAA wsa ops cntr received notification of ultralight accident near Petaluma (O69):
031256Z; ultralight acc @ 405 browns lane, Petaluma CA; N476VB; Quicksilver emxl ii; 1 sob/ fatal; unkn
Dmg; unkn circ of crash; NTSB advsd...medfia interest; near adobe creek golf course,,,. Wsa oc/ra
4.3.15) Wsa notified oak FSDO and set up phone patch with FAA iic adair and NTSB iic cawthra.
4.3.15) Iic's adair and cawthra met on-scene and accompanied sonoma co sheriff's deputy (coroner), fire department and deputy sheriff's to extract the body and begin on-scene investigation.
Numerous witness statements were taken, with consitent report of hearing a "pop" then seeing the ultralight fall from the sky.
Flight controls and control cable continuity was evident from flight controls to control column. Numerous l/h and r/h spar bolts and cables showed overload failure. Numerous bolts showed rust present, and spar tube had indications of corosion, visible from break in tube due to overload failure.
Parachute (mechanical deployment mechanism) was partially deployed, with the parachute still intact in the cone, trailing the wreckage with lanyards intact. ELT was damaged beyond funtionality.
Engine (with gear-box cover partially missing), two carbs, portion of one prop blade were located in various states of impact and accident damage, separated from the wreckage by 15-20 feet. Further investigation required to determine sequence of events.
4.3.15) Iic's adair and cawthra obtained access to owner's airframe and pilot's logs at Petaluma airport manager's office.
Review of records indicated airman was a student pilot, with apprx. 8.3 hours in 2015, with apprx. 111 hours total.
Maintenance records indicated that three significant items had been accomplished in the previous few of weeks:
1) Replacement of throttle cable assembly (2/28/15)
2) Installation of windscreen from air-tech (3/13/15)
3) Installation of 4.5 gal. Air-tech under-seat fuel tank and replaced fuel lines (3/24/15).
4/4/15) Iic cawthra returned to accident scene and had wreckage moved to secure hangar at Petaluma airport. He went through entire wreckage, resolved numerous remaining open items. He interviewed more witnesses inclusive of ultralight Quicksilver owners/builders that knew the deceased and his habits with the accident aircraft.
4/4/15) No clear causal factors became evident during the intital on-site, nor follow-on inspection of the aircraft wreckage in Petaluma.
4/6/15) Cami medical officer, Dr. Salazar, is conducting the medical overview and report, and cami has been in contact with FAA iic adair.
4/6/15) Additional interviews scheduled, and some intereviewees will be re-interviewed.
Investigation ongoing with NTSB to determine sequence of events and potential causal factors.
Accident investigation numbers:
- Atqa acc. Inv. # A-WP-27-15-027
- NTSB acc. Inv. # WPR15FA140
- Oak FSDO tracker # AWP27005
- Ptrs # WP27201502643
- Sonoma co. sheriff's investigation
Report # 15-0000386
Note: request for report has been
Made, inclusive of aerial photos from
Henry one crew, who were first on-
Scene). Report will be sent when
Complete, and forwarded to NTSB when
Received.
Additional media sources are channel 7 news and helicopter video, and channel 4 news media - both of which were on-site for hours on 4.3.15, following accident.
4.7.15) Mr. Wright has been determined to have multiple identities. For the purposes of this investigation, FAA recorded identity and information will be used.
Mr. Wright was a student pilot (cert ZZ-331358).
Aircraft records in FAA okc database indicate current special airworthiness certificate, experimental, light sport with appropriate operating limitations - both amended 01/08/10.
More research and follow-up is being conducted and results will be included in NTSB accident report number WPR15FA140.
As the FAA filed it
4.3.15) FAA WSA OPS CNTR RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF ULTRALIGHT ACCIDENT NEAR PETALUMA (O69):
031256Z; ULTRALIGHT ACC @ 405 BROWNS LANE, PETALUMA CA; N476VB; QUICKSILVER EMXL II; 1 SOB/ FATAL; UNKN
DMG; UNKN CIRC OF CRASH; NTSB ADVSD...MEDFIA INTEREST; NEAR ADOBE CREEK GOLF COURSE,,,. WSA OC/RA
4.3.15) WSA NOTIFIED OAK FSDO AND SET UP PHONE PATCH WITH FAA IIC ADAIR AND NTSB IIC CAWTHRA.
4.3.15) IIC'S ADAIR AND CAWTHRA MET ON-SCENE AND ACCOMPANIED SONOMA CO SHERIFF'S DEPUTY (CORONER), FIRE DEPARTMENT AND DEPUTY SHERIFF'S TO EXTRACT THE BODY AND BEGIN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION.
NUMEROUS WITNESS STATEMENTS WERE TAKEN, WITH CONSITENT REPORT OF HEARING A "POP" THEN SEEING THE ULTRALIGHT FALL FROM THE SKY.
FLIGHT CONTROLS AND CONTROL CABLE CONTINUITY WAS EVIDENT FROM FLIGHT CONTROLS TO CONTROL COLUMN. NUMEROUS L/H AND R/H SPAR BOLTS AND CABLES SHOWED OVERLOAD FAILURE. NUMEROUS BOLTS SHOWED RUST PRESENT, AND SPAR TUBE HAD INDICATIONS OF COROSION, VISIBLE FROM BREAK IN TUBE DUE TO OVERLOAD FAILURE.
PARACHUTE (MECHANICAL DEPLOYMENT MECHANISM) WAS PARTIALLY DEPLOYED, WITH THE PARACHUTE STILL INTACT IN THE CONE, TRAILING THE WRECKAGE WITH LANYARDS INTACT. ELT WAS DAMAGED BEYOND FUNTIONALITY.
ENGINE (WITH GEAR-BOX COVER PARTIALLY MISSING), TWO CARBS, PORTION OF ONE PROP BLADE WERE LOCATED IN VARIOUS STATES OF IMPACT AND ACCIDENT DAMAGE, SEPARATED FROM THE WRECKAGE BY 15-20 FEET. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REQUIRED TO DETERMINE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS.
4.3.15) IIC'S ADAIR AND CAWTHRA OBTAINED ACCESS TO OWNER'S AIRFRAME AND PILOT'S LOGS AT PETALUMA AIRPORT MANAGER'S OFFICE.
REVIEW OF RECORDS INDICATED AIRMAN WAS A STUDENT PILOT, WITH APPRX. 8.3 HOURS IN 2015, WITH APPRX. 111 HOURS TOTAL.
MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATED THAT THREE SIGNIFICANT ITEMS HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN THE PREVIOUS FEW OF WEEKS:
1) REPLACEMENT OF THROTTLE CABLE ASSEMBLY (2/28/15)
2) INSTALLATION OF WINDSCREEN FROM AIR-TECH (3/13/15)
3) INSTALLATION OF 4.5 GAL. AIR-TECH UNDER-SEAT FUEL TANK AND REPLACED FUEL LINES (3/24/15).
4/4/15) IIC CAWTHRA RETURNED TO ACCIDENT SCENE AND HAD WRECKAGE MOVED TO SECURE HANGAR AT PETALUMA AIRPORT. HE WENT THROUGH ENTIRE WRECKAGE, RESOLVED NUMEROUS REMAINING OPEN ITEMS. HE INTERVIEWED MORE WITNESSES INCLUSIVE OF ULTRALIGHT QUICKSILVER OWNERS/BUILDERS THAT KNEW THE DECEASED AND HIS HABITS WITH THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT.
4/4/15) NO CLEAR CAUSAL FACTORS BECAME EVIDENT DURING THE INTITAL ON-SITE, NOR FOLLOW-ON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE IN PETALUMA.
4/6/15) CAMI MEDICAL OFFICER, DR. SALAZAR, IS CONDUCTING THE MEDICAL OVERVIEW AND REPORT, AND CAMI HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH FAA IIC ADAIR.
4/6/15) ADDITIONAL INTERVIEWS SCHEDULED, AND SOME INTEREVIEWEES WILL BE RE-INTERVIEWED.
INVESTIGATION ONGOING WITH NTSB TO DETERMINE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND POTENTIAL CAUSAL FACTORS.
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION NUMBERS:
- ATQA ACC. INV. # A-WP-27-15-027
- NTSB ACC. INV. # WPR15FA140
- OAK FSDO TRACKER # AWP27005
- PTRS # WP27201502643
- SONOMA CO. SHERIFF'S INVESTIGATION
REPORT # 15-0000386
NOTE: REQUEST FOR REPORT HAS BEEN
MADE, INCLUSIVE OF AERIAL PHOTOS FROM
HENRY ONE CREW, WHO WERE FIRST ON-
SCENE). REPORT WILL BE SENT WHEN
COMPLETE, AND FORWARDED TO NTSB WHEN
RECEIVED.
ADDITIONAL MEDIA SOURCES ARE CHANNEL 7 NEWS AND HELICOPTER VIDEO, AND CHANNEL 4 NEWS MEDIA - BOTH OF WHICH WERE ON-SITE FOR HOURS ON 4.3.15, FOLLOWING ACCIDENT.
4.7.15) MR. WRIGHT HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO HAVE MULTIPLE IDENTITIES. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS INVESTIGATION, FAA RECORDED IDENTITY AND INFORMATION WILL BE USED.
MR. WRIGHT WAS A STUDENT PILOT (CERT ZZ-331358).
AIRCRAFT RECORDS IN FAA OKC DATABASE INDICATE CURRENT SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE, EXPERIMENTAL, LIGHT SPORT WITH APPROPRIATE OPERATING LIMITATIONS - BOTH AMENDED 01/08/10.
MORE RESEARCH AND FOLLOW-UP IS BEING CONDUCTED AND RESULTS WILL BE INCLUDED IN NTSB ACCIDENT REPORT NUMBER WPR15FA140.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.