- Date
- May 11, 1983, 18:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- Turners Falls, MA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- UNREGVector 610
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 35126
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
On 4/18/83, the ultralight vehicle was damaged by high winds. This necessitated the replacement of the front & rear spars as well as the battens which provided curvature to the upper wing surface. Prior to a test flt, a weighted tail wheel was also installed. Subsequently, a test plt took off to evaluate the ultralight. Witnesses observed that the plt climbed to about 1000 ft, then began a series of maneuvers. While performing a maneuver, similar to a lazy 8, with bank angles up to 60 to 90 deg, the ultralight's left wing folded. The vehicle then entered an uncontrolleddescent & crashed. An exam of the wreckage revealed that the aft spar tip had rotated around the aft spar in such a manner that the outboard wing panel had bent down & rearward. Holes had not been drilled & steel pop rivets had not been installed, per installation instructions, to prevent the spar tip from rotating. Also, the plt's blood alcohol level was found to be 95 mg%. The test plt also performed maintenance on the ultralight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Vector 610
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1244
- Airframe hours
- 70
- Engine
- Zenoah G25B, 22 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 103
- Registered owner
- Aerodyne Systems, Inc.
- Airport
- runway 34, 3,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,480 total · 96 in this make and model · 2,330 as pilot in command · 57 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BAF, 27 nm away