- Date
- March 7, 1993, 13:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Rio Linda, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4474EE.L. Erickson Tierra II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930307004379A
- Case key
- 27943
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight's encounter with a downdraft. A factor relating to this accident was the trees.
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 registered ultralight aircraft encountered a downdraft shortly after departing a grass field. The pilot attempted to turn the aircraft, but without success. The aircraft struck the trees as it continued in a southerly direction. The pilot reported the engine was operating normally and that the aircraft did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4474E
- Reported as
- E.L. Erickson Tierra II
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 4356
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 45 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gulbranson, Edgar A. Et. Al
- Registered owner
- Gulbranson, Edgar A. Et. Al
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
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
- 41
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 30 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.