- Date
- November 4, 1983, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sparks, NV
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- UNREGMitchell T10
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 24007
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
Ground witnesses observed the ultralight vehicle in straight & level flt. According to them, the vehicle began a pitch oscillation, then went into a steep, right descending spiral until it struck the ground. Another plt, who was flying in the vicinity reported that the wind was calm & the was no turbulence. During the investigation, no preimpact, mechanicl malfunction or failure was found. The owner thought that the student's foot might have became 'hooked' between his right rudder pedal & part of the vehicles structure. However, this was not vertified.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Mitchell T10
- Category
- Ultralight
- Serial number
- T1034
- Airframe hours
- 8
- Engine
- Rotax 436.6 CC, 38 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 103
- Registered owner
- William P. Morlang
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,100 total · 9 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 5 nm away