- Date
- June 7, 1983, 20:15 local (Jun 8, 1983, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Pittsburg, KS
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- UNREGAirmass Sunburst
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 33359
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 plt had completed a private plt ground school course & had flown aprx 4.6 hrs in a Cessna 172 before flying his home built ultralight vehicle. During a test flt, he was making a go-around from a touch-and-go landing when the vehicle crashed. A witness stated that the ultralight pitched nose down to about a 45 deg angle & the noise of the eng increased as it pitched down. An exam of the wreckage revealed that the short elevator push-pull rod had separated from the elevator clevis fork. Reportedly, the half nylock locknut was installed on the connecting bolt in a reverse direction. The manufacturer's assembly instructions did not provide details on the jam locking of the nut. On 10/12/82, the manufacturer had issued specific instructions for installation of lock nuts, but reportedly, these procedures were not applied to this vehicle. However, the FAA A&P mechanics handbook (AC65-9A) discussed procedures for securing push-pull tube linkages/fittings/jamnuts. Maint instructions do not always discuss specific safety methods.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Airmass Sunburst
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Airframe hours
- 1
- Engine
- Cuyuna 430CC, 30 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 103
- Registered owner
- Michael Montgomery
- Airport
- PTS · Atkinson Muni, runway 34, 3,660 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JLN, 22 nm away