- Date
- July 24, 2018, 07:37 local (13:37 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N824PBAirborne Windsports PTY Edge XT-912-L
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180724017939A
- Case key
- 97875
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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Findings · 3
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 pilot of the weight-shift-control aircraft reported that, during a flight review, while practicing touch-and-go landings, the flight instructor and pilot were both on the flight controls to allow the pilot to mirror the instructor's movements. During the landing flare, the pilot felt the airspeed was too high, and the aircraft touched down and veered left. The instructor and pilot both tried to bring the aircraft under control, but the aircraft began to "waddle" and came to rest on its right side. The instructor reported that, during the flight, he observed the pilot was tense and uncomfortable and during the first landing, the airspeed was too low. He instructed him to increase the airspeed and to practice stabilized approaches. During the accident landing roll, the aircraft was not aligned with the center of the runway and heading left. The pilot corrected to the right but then turned back to the left. The aircraft came to rest on its right side. The weight-shift-control aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the weight-shift-control aircraft that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 13 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 20° at 8 knots. The weight-shift-control aircraft landed on runway 35.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the weight shift control aircraft reported that, during a flight review, while practicing touch and go landings, the flight instructor and pilot were both on the flight controls to allow the pilot to mirror the instructor's movements. During the landing flare, the pilot felt the airspeed was too high, the aircraft touched down and veered to the left. The instructor and pilot both tried to bring the aircraft under control, but the aircraft began to "waddle" and came to rest on its right side. The instructor reported that, during the flight, he observed the pilot was tense and uncomfortable and, during the first landing, the airspeed was too low. He instructed him to increase the airspeed and to practice stabilized approaches. During the accident landing roll, the aircraft was not aligned with the center of the runway and heading to the left. The pilot corrected to the right, but then made a turn back to the left. The aircraft came to rest on its right side. The weight shift control aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the weight shift control aircraft that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 13 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 20° at 8 knots. The weight shift control aircraft landed on runway 35. The pilot and flight instructor did not submit the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N824PB
- Reported as
- Airborne Windsports PTY Edge XT-912-L
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- XT-912-0462
- Built
- 2015
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- AEG · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- AEG · Albuquerque, NM
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- AEG · Double Eagle II, runway 35, 5,993 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 13,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.43 inHg
- Observed at
- KAEG
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.