20211112022999I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Aircraft · Salton City, CA · November 12, 2021

Date: November 12, 2021 · 09:55 local
Place: Salton City, CA
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: Ultralight vehicle (Part 103)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0

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.

Immediately after rotation the canopy left wingtip dipped due to unknown reasons. The pilot was aware of the discrepancy and was trying to resolve the issue while he continued a slow, left turning climb. The pilot managed to complete two circling turns to the left while gaining about 80 feet of altitude before his paramotor glider entered a near vertical spiral towards the ground.

As the FAA filed it

IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROTATION THE CANOPY LEFT WINGTIP DIPPED DUE TO UNKNOWN REASONS. THE PILOT WAS AWARE OF THE DISCREPANCY AND WAS TRYING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE WHILE HE CONTINUED A SLOW, LEFT TURNING CLIMB. THE PILOT MANAGED TO COMPLETE TWO CIRCLING TURNS TO THE LEFT WHILE GAINING ABOUT 80 FEET OF ALTITUDE BEFORE HIS PARAMOTOR GLIDER ENTERED A NEAR VERTICAL SPIRAL TOWARDS THE GROUND.