- Date
- October 29, 2016, 07:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Blountstown, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- UNREGAeros 2
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Alabama/ Northwest Florida FSDO
- Case key
- 94897
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The noncertificated pilot's decision to fly the weight-shift-controlled aircraft without having received training in the aircraft type, which resulted in his loss of aircraft control shortly after takeoff.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The noncertificated pilot of the weight-shift-controlled trike reported that, during the takeoff, he was "fighting the wing." He added that the aircraft was about 30 ft above the ground when he "pulled on the control bar," the right wing rose, and the left wing dipped down. The aircraft subsequently impacted terrain in a left-wing-down attitude to the left of the runway. The center fuselage spar and wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that the accident flight was his first flight in the unregistered trike and that he had received no flight training before the accident flight. He reported that when he purchased the weight-shift-controlled trike, the bill of sale indicated that the aircraft was an "ultralight." According to the trike's operating manual, the aircraft specifications exceeded the maximum takeoff weight, fuel capacity, and seat limitations stated in 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 103 for ultralight aircraft.
Factual narrative
The noncertificated pilot of a weight-shift controlled trike reported that during the takeoff he was "fighting the wing." He added that the aircraft was about 30 feet above ground, when he "pulled on the control bar," the right wing rose, and the left wing dipped down. The aircraft subsequently impacted the terrain in a left wing down attitude to the left of the runway. The center fuselage spar and wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that the accident flight was his first flight in the unregistered trike. He added that he possessed no pilot certificate and had received no flight training prior to the accident flight. He reported that when he purchased the weight-shift controlled trike, the bill of sale indicated that the aircraft was an "ultralight." According to the trike's operating manual, the aircraft specifications exceeded the maximum takeoff weight, fuel capacity, and seat limitations stated in 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 103 for ultralight aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Aeros 2
- Category
- Weight-shift, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 04705
- Engine
- Rotax 912 ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Departed
- F95 · Blountstown, FL
- Destination
- F95 · Blountstown, FL
- Airport
- F95 · Calhoun County, runway 36, 3,100 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 0.1 total · 0.1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- KMAI, 21 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 15, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.