- Date
- August 21, 2018, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hawthorne, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N145PTEvolution Trikes Revo
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180821011959A
- Case key
- 98122
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 flight instructor’s failure to maintain lateral control of the weight-shift-controlled aircraft during the landing flare.
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 flight instructor in the weight-shift-controlled aircraft reported that, during a demonstration flight, during the landing flare, he observed the wind sock shift 90°, and he felt a violent wind gust from the left that lifted the left wing. He attempted to lower the left wing, but the right wing impacted the ground, and the aircraft cartwheeled before coming to rest. The flight instructor reported that, after the accident, an airport worker reported to him that he had been caught in a "dust devil." The weight-shift-controlled aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the weight-shift-controlled 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 230° at 8 knots. The weight-shift-controlled aircraft landed on runway 25.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor in the weight-shift control aircraft reported that, during a demonstration flight, during the landing flare, he observed the wind sock shift 90° and he felt a violent wind gust from the left that lifted the left wing. He attempted to lower the left wing, but the right wing impacted the ground, and the aircraft cartwheeled before coming to rest. The flight instructor reported that, after the accident, an airport worker reported to him that he had been caught in a "dust devil". The weight-shift control aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor 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 1243 Pacific daylight time, 13 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 230° at 8 knots, 7 statute miles, few clouds at 2,900 ft, temperature 81°F, dew point 66°F. The weight-shift control aircraft landed on runway 25.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N145PT
- Reported as
- Evolution Trikes Revo
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- 000557
- Built
- 2010
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Pacific Blue Air, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Daniel R. White
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- HHR · Hawthorne, CA
- Destination
- HHR · Hawthorne, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- HHR · Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne, runway 25, 4,884 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Video recording device, Airframe parachute, Electronic multifunction display
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Sport Pilot, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 5, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,550 total · 340 in this make and model · 3,057 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KHHR
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 1, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 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.