- Date
- July 9, 2006, 20:15 local (Jul 10, 2006, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- New Galilee, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- UNREGCarlson Sparrow
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Allegheny
- Case key
- 64167
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 pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and impact with terrain. A factor in the accident was the partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
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
According to the pilot, the unregistered, amateur-built Carlson Aircraft Sparrow experienced a partial loss of engine power approximately 40 feet above ground level, during the initial climb. The non-certificated pilot elected to return to the airport, and during a turn toward the runway, the airplane "stalled." The airplane impacted the ground in a right wing low attitude, resulting in substantial damage. An examination of the airframe and engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no mechanical abnormalities.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the unregistered, amateur-built Carlson Aircraft Sparrow experienced a partial loss of engine power approximately 40 feet above ground level, during the initial climb. The non-certificated pilot elected to return to the airport, and during a turn toward the runway, the airplane "stalled." The airplane impacted the ground in a right wing low attitude, resulting in substantial damage. An examination of the airframe and engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no mechanical abnormalities.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Carlson Sparrow
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- SP 112 PBK
- Airframe hours
- 890
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 45 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · April 1, 2006
- Departed
- 1PA5 · New Galilee, PA
- Airport
- 1PA5 · Beaver Creek Ultralight Fltprk, runway 30, 1,400 × 130 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 632 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KBVI, 2 nm away