LAX08CA294

NTSB accident investigation · Air Creation Clipper 912 · Glendale, AZ · August 2, 2008

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
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.

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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.

Wind: dust devil/whirlwindEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on equipmentAir Creation CLIPPER 912: 1 caseAll aircraft: 38 casesProbable cause

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.