- Date
- April 1, 1984, 09:05 local (14:05 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Bay, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- UNREGPterodactyl Ascender II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 31019
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 plts of 2 ultralight vehicles were accompanying each other & were flying west at 500 ft AGL in calm air when an acft crossed ahead of their flt path. The acft was estimate to be flying at about 140 KTS & aprx 40 ft above the ultralights' alt. The surviving plt stated that he climbed to cross above the acft's flt path. However, the other ultralight, a pterodactyl ascender ii, continued straight ahead & crossed about 10 sec behind the acft. After crossing the acft's flt path, the ascender was seen to slow down & drift to the right, then enter a spin & crash. Reportedly, a portion of the right wing had failed before the ultralight crashed. No preexisting cracks were found. All factures were typical of those produced by overstress.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Pterodactyl Ascender II (ASCENDER I)
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Engine
- Cuyuna 430, 35 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 103
- Registered owner
- Robert W. Roper
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 15 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLB, 6 nm away