ATL83FU002

Reportedly, the owner/plt had purchased the ultralight acft on 4/21/83. His instructor stated that he (the plt) had received aprx 1 1/2 hrs of supervised taxi time, but had not flown the vehicle prior to the accident flt. On the day of the accident, the plt had made an appointment to meet his instructor at the arpt. However, when the instructor was unable to keep the appointment, the plt took off. A witness reported seeing the ultralight takeoff & climb in a fairly steep attitude, then level off. Another witness observed the ultralight flying level at aprx 40 ft AGL, then saw it in a nose down descent. The vehicle impacted an abandoned rwy in a near vertical attitude. No preimpact/mechanical malfunction or failures were evident. The plt had no known flt experience prior to this flt.