- Date
- November 5, 1983, 09:59 local (17:59 UTC)
- Place
- El Mirage, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- UNREGDelts Wing Kites Lazor 170
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 24008
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
The weight shift controlled, ultralight vehicle had just recently been built. The owner & the plt had agreed that they would not attempt to fly the vehicle on the initial test. The plt was observed taxiing excessively fast, and reportedly, he made 1 or 2 ground loops while taxiing. After he taxied the vehicle aprx 1/2 to 1 hr, it became airborne. The owner reported that after lift-off, the vehicle leveled out at about 50 AGL, then went almost straight up to aprx 100 to 150 ft. it then turned & entered a descent & crashed in a nearly straight-down attitude. Another plt had test flown the vehicle earlier in the day. He reported that the controls responded normally. The plt that was involved in the accident had a balloon rating & was indorsed for solo flts in a Cessna 172; however, he had no previous ultralight experience.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Delts Wing Kites Lazor 170
- Category
- Ultralight
- Serial number
- 104
- Airframe hours
- 2
- Engine
- Robin EC34PM, 34 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 103
- Operator
- Steven Vermillion
- Registered owner
- None
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 65 total · 12 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EDW, 20 nm away