20160502003419A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Airborne REDBACK · Arlington, WA · May 2, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: May 2, 2016 · 18:55 local
Place: Arlington, WA
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N528PG
Reported as: Airborne Redback
Reported engine: ROTAX 503 DCDI
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 325 total175 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

N528PGRegistered now · Airborne REDBACKS/N 503-719 · Built 2002 Airframe modelAirborne REDBACK Engine modelRotax 503 DCDI2 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.

PIC attempted to start weight shift control aircraft (trike) with the intention to fly. Engine failed to start so PIC exited the aircraft, primed the engine with starting fluid, and pulled the starter cord. The engine started with the throttle having been left at 50%. The aircraft (without PIC on-board) moved approximately 100 feet, became Airborne, and crashed into the top of one of the adjacent hangers.

As the FAA filed it

PIC ATTEMPTED TO START WEIGHT SHIFT CONTROL AIRCRAFT (TRIKE) WITH THE INTENTION TO FLY. ENGINE FAILED TO START SO PIC EXITED THE AIRCRAFT, PRIMED THE ENGINE WITH STARTING FLUID, AND PULLED THE STARTER CORD. THE ENGINE STARTED WITH THE THROTTLE HAVING BEEN LEFT AT 50%. THE AIRCRAFT (WITHOUT PIC ON-BOARD) MOVED APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET, BECAME AIRBORNE, AND CRASHED INTO THE TOP OF ONE OF THE ADJACENT HANGERS.