What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircrft N494N, a tl-ultralight sro TL-2000 Stingsport, was in cruise flight from arcadia airport (X06), FL to apopka airport (X04), FL on November 17, 2018. At apporximately 11:20 local time the pilot stated he was responding to a traffic alert coming from his foreflight app on his phone with a left descending turn. Back in cruise flight he noticed that the airspeed was about 138 KTS. He made a power change which made the aircraft yaw to the left and the left wing drop and enter what he believed to be a spin. He states that he executed the recovery recommended in the operators manual. Once out of the spin he stated that he began to raise the nose and the aircrafted rotated nose down. This sudden downward pitch movement forced him to hit his head on the canopy which broke the glass . The pilot stated that at that point he began to graduaully pull the stick back to raise the nose but recieved no elevator response. At this point he activated the ballistc parachute. The aircraft landed in cow pasture. The airplane suffered substancial damage to nose gear, and propeller.
The horizontal stabilizer (with the elevator and elevator trim attached) came off the aircraft in one piece. The horizontal stabilizer landed a few hundred yards from the rest of the aircraft.
Three witnesses made statements. Two witness statements support the events described by the pilot. The third witness statesment describes events after the parachute was deployed.
The pilot suffered only minor injuries. And the aircraft was substancially damaged.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRFT N494N, A TL-ULTRALIGHT SRO TL-2000 STINGSPORT, WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT FROM ARCADIA AIRPORT (X06), FL TO APOPKA AIRPORT (X04), FL ON NOVEMBER 17, 2018. AT APPORXIMATELY 11:20 LOCAL TIME THE PILOT STATED HE WAS RESPONDING TO A TRAFFIC ALERT COMING FROM HIS FOREFLIGHT APP ON HIS PHONE WITH A LEFT DESCENDING TURN. BACK IN CRUISE FLIGHT HE NOTICED THAT THE AIRSPEED WAS ABOUT 138 KTS. HE MADE A POWER CHANGE WHICH MADE THE AIRCRAFT YAW TO THE LEFT AND THE LEFT WING DROP AND ENTER WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE A SPIN. HE STATES THAT HE EXECUTED THE RECOVERY RECOMMENDED IN THE OPERATORS MANUAL. ONCE OUT OF THE SPIN HE STATED THAT HE BEGAN TO RAISE THE NOSE AND THE AIRCRAFTED ROTATED NOSE DOWN. THIS SUDDEN DOWNWARD PITCH MOVEMENT FORCED HIM TO HIT HIS HEAD ON THE CANOPY WHICH BROKE THE GLASS . THE PILOT STATED THAT AT THAT POINT HE BEGAN TO GRADUAULLY PULL THE STICK BACK TO RAISE THE NOSE BUT RECIEVED NO ELEVATOR RESPONSE. AT THIS POINT HE ACTIVATED THE BALLISTC PARACHUTE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN COW PASTURE. THE AIRPLANE SUFFERED SUBSTANCIAL DAMAGE TO NOSE GEAR, AND PROPELLER.
THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER (WITH THE ELEVATOR AND ELEVATOR TRIM ATTACHED) CAME OFF THE AIRCRAFT IN ONE PIECE. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER LANDED A FEW HUNDRED YARDS FROM THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THREE WITNESSES MADE STATEMENTS. TWO WITNESS STATEMENTS SUPPORT THE EVENTS DESCRIBED BY THE PILOT. THE THIRD WITNESS STATESMENT DESCRIBES EVENTS AFTER THE PARACHUTE WAS DEPLOYED.
THE PILOT SUFFERED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANCIALLY DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.