- Date
- August 5, 1983, 20:30 local (Aug 6, 1983, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mayville, NY
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- UNREGAmerican Aerolights Eagle XL
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 35132
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
According to witnesses, the ultralight was in level flt at aprx 150 to 200 ft AGL when they heard a loud bang. Shortly thereafter, the eng noise ceased & the vehicle entered a spiraling descent & crashed. A rip in the wing center section was seen prior to impact. An exam revealed that the large reduction assembly, drive pulley had separated from the drive shaft. 2 of 4 connecting bolts were found fractured & the other 2 had separated without fracturing. There was evidence of looseness & fretting prior to the bolt failures. Red paint had transferred from the prop tips to the wing struts. Theprop tips had separated & the wing fabric had torn at the wing roots on each side of the center section. The failed & missing bolts had been installed during a drive shaft pulley adapter hub retrofit, aprx 3 flt hrs prior to the accident,before the plt purchased the ultralight from a previous owner. No washers, torque values or safetying requirements were specified for the bolts in the retrofit instructions & the bolts had not been safety wired.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- American Aerolights Eagle XL
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 20029
- Engine
- Cuyuna 430R, 30 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 103
- Registered owner
- William Phillips II
- Departed
- D79 · Mayville, NY
- Airport
- D79 · Dart
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10 total · 1 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BUF, 53 nm away