- Date
- August 2, 2008, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Glendale, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N21721Air Creation Clipper 912
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Dragged wing/rotor/float/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080802845489A
- Case key
- 68917
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 airplane's encounter with a dust devil.
Findings · 1
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 airplane had just touched down when a dust devil approached from the west and lifted the airplane onto its side. The pilot reported that the sky was clear with some restriction to visibility due to blowing dust. Winds were variable at 20 knots, gusting to 35 knots. There were no mechanical failures or malfunctions reported by the pilot.
Factual narrative
On August 2, 2008, about 1130 mountain standard time, an Air Creation Clipper 912 Microlight Trike, N21721, flipped over on its side during landing at Glendale Municipal Airport, Glendale, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot and the passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing structure. The local personal flight departed Glendale about 1000 PDT. Visual instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported that the airplane was on final approach over the runway when it touched down. At that time, a whirlwind or dust devil approached from the west. It lifted the airplane onto its side. The pilot reported that the sky was clear with some restriction to visibility due to blowing dust. Winds were variable at 20 knots, gusting to 35 knots. The pilot reported that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. The FAA notified the National Transporation Safety Board of this accident on September 10, 2008.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21721
- Reported as
- Air Creation Clipper 912
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T04058
- Airframe hours
- 225
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 60 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 25, 2008
- Departed
- GEU · Glendale, AZ
- Destination
- GEU · Glendale, AZ
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- GEU · Glendale Municipal Airport, runway 19, 7,150 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- January 29, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 225 total · 225 in this make and model · 165 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- GEU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.