20161001017409A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Airborne Windsports PTY EDGE XT-912-L · Fort Valley, GA · October 1, 2016

Date
October 1, 2016 · 18:00 local
Place
Fort Valley, GA
Airport
Cameron Field
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
Ultralight vehicle (Part 103)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N53AW
Reported as
Airborne Windsports PTY Edge XT-912-L
Reported engine
ROTAX 912UL
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,850 total898 in this make and model13 in the last 90 days

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 October 1, 2016 the pilot privacy data omitted of N53AW was conducting a routine flight in the local vicinity of a private airstrip located in Fort Valley, Georgia (G81). On final approach the right wing stalled causing the aircraft to tumble as it hit the ground. The pilot sustained major injuries to his back and the aircraft suffered substantial damage.

On October 1, 2016 an inspector from the atlanta FSDO was dispatched to the accident site to determine the cause and extent of damage. An examination of the wreckage site showed that the aircraft had sustained major structural damage to the fuselage and wings of the aircraft. The aircraft was lying approximately 40 yards to the right of the approach end of the runway.

On arrival to the scene the inspector was met by members of the peach county sheriff?s department who were on scene as the first responders to assist in the emergency egress of the injured pilot. According to the sheriff deputies, the injured pilot was transported to the macon medical center due to major injuries to his back. Also on scene was an eye witness who lives at the airport, stated that the pilot had arrived earlier in the day to attend the light sport fly-in that is held each year at this particular airport. The witness stated that this was the first time the pilot had ever flown his trike at this particular airport when on his fourth approach he appeared slower than the previous approaches. The witness stated that it looked like the aircraft hit a small burble which is common at this spot when all of a sudden the wing stalled. The pilot immediately went to full power to try and save it, but the right wing tip caught the ground and the aircraft tumbled across the runway. The property owner was able to catch the entire accident on his home surveillance system and provided a copy to the FAA.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 1, 2016 THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF N53AW WAS CONDUCTING A ROUTINE FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL VICINITY OF A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP LOCATED IN FORT VALLEY, GEORGIA (G81). ON FINAL APPROACH THE RIGHT WING STALLED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TUMBLE AS IT HIT THE GROUND. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES TO HIS BACK AND THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

ON OCTOBER 1, 2016 AN INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO WAS DISPATCHED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND EXTENT OF DAMAGE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE SITE SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUSTAINED MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND WINGS OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LYING APPROXIMATELY 40 YARDS TO THE RIGHT OF THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY.

ON ARRIVAL TO THE SCENE THE INSPECTOR WAS MET BY MEMBERS OF THE PEACH COUNTY SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT WHO WERE ON SCENE AS THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO ASSIST IN THE EMERGENCY EGRESS OF THE INJURED PILOT. ACCORDING TO THE SHERIFF DEPUTIES, THE INJURED PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE MACON MEDICAL CENTER DUE TO MAJOR INJURIES TO HIS BACK. ALSO ON SCENE WAS AN EYE WITNESS WHO LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, STATED THAT THE PILOT HAD ARRIVED EARLIER IN THE DAY TO ATTEND THE LIGHT SPORT FLY-IN THAT IS HELD EACH YEAR AT THIS PARTICULAR AIRPORT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE PILOT HAD EVER FLOWN HIS TRIKE AT THIS PARTICULAR AIRPORT WHEN ON HIS FOURTH APPROACH HE APPEARED SLOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS APPROACHES. THE WITNESS STATED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE THE AIRCRAFT HIT A SMALL BURBLE WHICH IS COMMON AT THIS SPOT WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE WING STALLED. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY WENT TO FULL POWER TO TRY AND SAVE IT, BUT THE RIGHT WING TIP CAUGHT THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT TUMBLED ACROSS THE RUNWAY. THE PROPERTY OWNER WAS ABLE TO CATCH THE ENTIRE ACCIDENT ON HIS HOME SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM AND PROVIDED A COPY TO THE FAA.