- Date
- October 24, 1983, 17:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mountville, PA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- UNREGHighcraft Buccaneer
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 35429
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 amphibian ultralight vehicle was being flown on a series of flt tests after being assembled. At aprx 1615 EDT, the plt took off & was followed by another plt in another ultralight vehicle for observation purposes. No undesirable flt characteristic was noted. At aprx 1650 EDT, the chase plt returned to the airport while the plt on the test flt remained airborne. At about 1715 EDT, a witness observed the ultralight maneuvering. According to him, the vehicle was fairly high, spinning around at a fast rate & descending rapidly until it leveled off at an alt of between 400 to 500 ft AGL. Another witness said he was watching the ultralight & saw it dip & turn a few times, then the wings folded up & the vehicle crashed. All components of the craft were accounted for. Both wings had the same kind of damage characteristics, but the right wing & struts were damaged to a greater degree. No preimpact/ mechanical failure or malfunction was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Highcraft Buccaneer
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 9
- Airframe hours
- 5
- Engine
- Rotax 277, 28 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 103
- Operator
- Scott Burd
- Registered owner
- Thomas Mcbrain
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- 89N · Mountville, PA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LNS, 10 nm away