- Date
- July 12, 1984, 19:39 local (Jul 13, 1984, 00:39 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, IN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5150JJerry D. Fish Drifter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840712035519A
- Case key
- 12411
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
During flt, the plt was performing aerobatics & did a series of loops. While maneuvering, the left wing folded upward & the acft, an experimental ultralight, entered a descent & crashed. An exam revealed that the left wing had folded over the eng. Evidence was found that a wing bracing cable had failed from overload & that cables had become wrapped in the prop. No pre-accident part failure was found. An FAA toxicological test of the plt's blood showed an alcohol level of 0.145%.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5150J
- Reported as
- Jerry D. Fish Drifter
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 043
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jerry D. Fish
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 292 total · 11 in this make and model · 251 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LOU, 50 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.