- Date
- May 18, 1983, 19:50 local (May 19, 1983, 02:50 UTC)
- Place
- Shafter, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- UNREGWizard W-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 23875
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The vehicle involved in this mishap was a wizard W-1 ultralight which was assembled from a kit supplied by the manufacturer, us, inc. it was designed to be controller by 'weight shifts' of the plt, and featured a ground adjustable fixed horizontal stabilizer & a movable operator harness attach point for trim adjustment. The plt/operator had made 'crow hops' for aprx 15 min to adjust the vehicle trim prior to taking off & performing higher flt. After a normal takeoff run & during the initial climb, the eng lost power at aprx 50 ft. according to the operator, the trim was still not correct & the vehicle stalled, then entered a descent & contacted the ground in a hard landing. During touchdown, the left wheel assembly collapsed. The operater, suspended from a turbular frame by a wire & harness only, contacted the ground & received back & neck injuries. The operator stated the eng stopped for no apparent reason. He was a local distributor for wizard ultralights & had accumulated 40 of 50 hrs in the wizard W-1.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Wizard W-1
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Engine
- Yamaha 100 CC, 15 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 103
- Operator
- Donald E.Bledsoe
- Registered owner
- N/A
- Airport
- MIT · Shafter, runway 34, 2,980 × 100 ft, concrete
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 40 in this make and model · 50 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFL, 10 nm away