# Accident 20230922018359A: Arlington, WA, September 22, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 22, 2023, 14:56 local time
- Place: Arlington, WA
- Airport: Arlington Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: Ultralight vehicle (Part 103)
- Location: 48.1608° N, 122.1590° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ARLINGTON MUNI (AWO), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.1608&lon=-122.1590&mi=10
- Aircraft: NONE (not matched to a registry record)
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230922018359A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AN ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE NON-TOWERED AIRFIELD AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND BACK AT THE AIRFIELD WHEN THE PILOT LOSS CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT APPEARED TO HAVE TROUBLE CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT WHILE ON APPROACH TO THE LANDING RUNWAY. THE PILOT FLEW INTO THE ACTIVE AIRPORT RUNWAY AIR SPACE, WHICH WAS NOT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ULTRALIGHTS AT THIS AIRPORT. THE ULTRALIGHTS HAVE THEIR OWN LANDING AREA AWAY FROM THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE AND 100 FEET BEHIND THE ACTIVE RUNWAY 16 AND APPEARED TO BE CLIMBING WHEN THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY ROLLED OVER, LOSS ALTITUDE, AND BROKE UP IN-FLIGHT.  THE PILOT DID NOT SURVIVE, AND THE WRECKAGE LANDED TO THE RIGHT OF THE ACTIVE RUNWAY 16. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE AN ULTRALIGHT UNDER CFR 103. THIS AIRCRAFT WAS MODIFIED BEYOND THE REQUIREMENTS OF CFR 103 AND WAS AN ILLEGALLY OPERATED UNCERTIFICATED AIRCRAFT. FURTHERMORE, IT HAD NON-AIRWORTHY MAINTENANCE REPAIRS TO THE FRONT WING SPAR. WHICH COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL AND THE IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRCRAFT.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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