# NTSB LAX03LA157: Sabre Trike 330, Jean, NV, May 20, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 19, 2003, 17:50 local (May 20, 2003, 00:50 UTC) - Place: Jean, NV - Coordinates: 35.768333, -115.329719 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.7683&lon=-115.3297&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report April 28, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 57050 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX03LA157 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/57050/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=57050 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03LA157 ## Probable cause The pilot's excessive taxi speed, which resulted in an inadvertent liftoff at an inadequate airspeed and a subsequent stall. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in the airplane. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Miscellaneous/other, taxi - taxispeed - exceeded, pilot in command (cause) - lift-off - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - Loss of control - in flight, takeoff - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - lack of total experience in type of aircraft, pilot in command (contributing factor) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis The pilot stalled the airplane and impacted the ground during an inadvertent takeoff. The vehicle exceeded the maximum limits to be classified as an ultralight under 14 CFR 103. The owner was selling the airplane to the pilot. The owner demonstrated how it was assembled, and then demonstrated the airplane in flight. The pilot/buyer then put on his helmet and sat in the airplane. Two of his friends, and the owner, advised the pilot not to takeoff, to "just taxi." The pilot said he was not going to fly. While the pilot/buyer was taxiing, the airplane's speed increased. The airplane "went up" about 100 feet and then "[was] going straight to the ground." The airplane began to "come out of it" and the owner turned away. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft impacted the ground. One of the pilot's friends witnessed the accident. He reported the airplane "went up too fast, stalling, losing control, then smashing to the ground." ## Factual narrative On May 19, 2003, about 1750 Pacific daylight time, an unregistered Sabre Trike 330 airplane stalled during an inadvertent takeoff near Jean, Nevada. The pilot, who did not hold a pilot certificate, was operating the borrowed airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The owner reported in a written statement that he was selling the airplane to the pilot. He demonstrated how it was assembled, and then demonstrated the airplane in flight. The pilot/buyer then put on his helmet and sat in the airplane. Two of his friends, and the owner, advised the pilot not to takeoff, to "just taxi." The pilot said he was not going to fly. While the pilot/buyer was taxiing, the airplane's speed increased. The airplane "went up" about 100 feet and then "[was] going straight to the ground." The airplane began to "come out of it" and the owner turned away. Shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted the ground. One of the pilot's friends witnessed the accident. He reported the airplane "went up too fast, stalling, losing control, then smashing to the ground." The owner was not aware that the airplane did not comply with the requirements of Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 103, which specifies the requirements an aircraft must meet in order to operate as an ultralight vehicle. ## Aircraft - Registration: UNREG (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Sabre Trike 330 - Category: Airplane - Engines: Kawasaki TB340A-202 32 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Morgan Dillard - Departed: OL7, Jean, NV - Destination: 0L7, Jean, NV ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; injuries: fatal; seat: front; flight hours: 0 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 50° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg - Observed at: LAS, 20 nm away ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 9, 2004, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=57050. 521 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 521 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40187615&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.