- Date
- September 9, 1984, 08:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Erie, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- UNREGWeedhopper B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 16264
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 engine lost power while the plt was in a practice area. He returned to the arpt, and during the attempt to land, the acft crahsed. An instructor said the acft seemed to be flying slower than normal and the plt extended the downwind turn to base leg more than normal. The acft crashed about half a mile from the arpt. The control stick was jammed in the full nose up position. This particular acft was nose heavy because of the installation of a larger engine. An exam of the engine revealed that one of the two spark plug leads was loose, allowing minimal contact between the lead & the spark plug.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Weedhopper B
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Engine
- Zenoah G34BW2, 40 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 103
- Registered owner
- Andre J. Smith
- Airport
- 48V · Tri-County, runway 1, 1,150 × 40 ft, dirt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 9 total · 1 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN, 19 nm away