CEN22LA087

The noncertificated pilot departed on his first flight in his recently purchased weight-shift control (WSC) aircraft. After takeoff, the pilot made a steep left bank turn that included a rapid climb and descent. The pilot leveled the aircraft and made a second steep bank turn with a rapid climb, then the aircraft entered a dive and impacted a house. The wings, empennage, and fuselage sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot completed two flights in a different WSC aircraft about 6 months before the accident. According to the previous owner, the accident aircraft stalled more abruptly than other WSC aircraft and a substantial amount of altitude was required to recover from a stall. Although toxicology testing indicated the pilot used cannabis at some point before the accident flight, the detected blood levels could not be used to infer the level of impairment. Based on the circumstances of the accident, the effect of cannabis usage was determined not to be a likely factor in the accident.

On December 30, 2021, about 1514 central standard time, a J&J Ultralights Seawing, N285SW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Golden, Missouri. The noncertificated pilot sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A video of the accident showed that, after takeoff, the aircraft pitched up and banked left, then transitioned into a steep dive. After recovery toward level flight, the aircraft pitched up and banked left again. While in the second left turn, the aircraft entered a steep dive and impacted a house, which resulted in damage to both wings, fuselage and empennage. Engine noise was observed throughout the video until ground impact. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot’s certificate was revoked on January 23, 2020, for his failure to report two suspensions of his driver’s license and a conviction for unlawful alcohol concentration. The pilot purchased the accident aircraft about 6 months before the accident, and he completed two introductory flights in a weight-shift control (WSC) aircraft that handled substantially differently than the accident aircraft. Family members of the pilot reported that the accident flight was the pilot’s first flight in the accident aircraft. The previous owner stated that the flight characteristics of the accident aircraft included a more abrupt stall than other WSC aircraft and a small "window" between cruise and stall speeds. He described the stall as a "parachute straight forward" type of maneuver that required a substantial amount of altitude for recovery. Toxicology testing performed by the Federal Aviation Administration Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component in cannabis, at 3.4 ng/ml in cavity blood and 2.3 ng/ml in urine; its inactive metabolite, carboxy-delta-9-THC, at 38.3 ng/ml in cavity blood and 321.4 ng/ml in urine; and its active metabolite, 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC, was inconclusive in cavity blood and at 23.7 ng/ml in urine.