- Date
- June 26, 1983, 09:59 local (16:59 UTC)
- Place
- Sommerton, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- UNREGAmerican Aerolights Eagle XL
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 23529
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A witness in another ultralight saw the plt of the eagle xl climb to about 800 to 1000 ft AGL after taking off. The witness was aprx 500 ft AGL when he saw the eagle xl start a steep descent from his 8 to 9 o'clock high position and thought the eagle xl plt was descending to meet him. He looked away to scan for other traffic and when he looked back he saw the eagle xl just before it impacted the ground in a near verticle dive. He noticed that before impact the left wing appeared to be swept back aprx 15 to 20 deg more than the right wing. Exam of the wreckage revealed that the left front flying wire was found separated at the bowsprit attachpoint. The pilot had previously failed a flight physical due to his failure to pass two depth perception tests. Reportedly, the plt had previously made rapid descents and had said he enjoyed doing these maneuvers.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- American Aerolights Eagle XL
- Category
- Ultralight
- Engine
- Cuyuna 430R, 30 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 103
- Registered owner
- Bill Kerr
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 83 total · 8 in this make and model · 83 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- YUM, 5 nm away