- Date
- July 1, 1984, 18:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Tullahoma, TN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- UNREGRitz A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 6341
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The ultralight had been flown for 4 ftls and the plt upon landing mentioned a possible control problem with the owner and builder. The builder then took the vehicle up to show how fast it would go. After about 30 minutes of flt he dove atthe rwy in a full power shallow dive and entered a left turn at about 30 ft AGL. The right aileron was seen fluttering by a witness just before the right wing moved. A few seconds later, the left wing separated from the airframe. The acft crashed nose first and bounced about 40 ft from the initial impact point on the rwy.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Ritz A
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Serial number
- NONE
- Engine
- Zenoah 250, 22 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 103
- Registered owner
- Gerald G. Ritz
- Airport
- THA · Tullahoma
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BNA, 50 nm away