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NTSB accident investigation · Airborne Windsports PTY Edge XT-912-L · Albuquerque, NM · July 24, 2018

Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal report
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.

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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.

Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedAirborne Windsports PTY EDGE XT-912-L: 1 caseAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Wind: crosswindEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operationAirborne Windsports PTY EDGE XT-912-L: 1 caseAll aircraft: 1,008 cases

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.