- Date
- November 21, 2004, 17:05 local (Nov 22, 2004, 00:05 UTC)
- Place
- Emmett, ID
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- UNREGTrikes GTE 503 SL
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 60623
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 intentionally performing an aerobatic maneuver while not maintaining clearance of the terrain.
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
A friend and fellow-pilot of the accident pilot said that they had flown, in separate aircraft, to Caldwell, Idaho, and were returning to the friend's private grass airstrip north of Emmett, Idaho. The pilot's friend said that he landed, and then realized that he had lost contact with the accident pilot. Witnesses said they saw the accident pilot performing a loop, and subsequently impact the ground. The accident pilot's friend said that the accident pilot had an estimated 30 hours of flight experience in ultralights. He did not have a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight certificate, nor did he have a FAA ultralight exemption. The aircraft had two seats, a gross weight of 947 pounds, and a ten gallon fuel tank; therefore, it did not meet the FAR Part 103 regulation for an ultralight aircraft.
Factual narrative
On November 21, 2004, at approximately 1705 mountain standard time, a Trikes, GTE 503 SL ultralight, a non-registered aircraft, was destroyed following impact with terrain, near Emmett, Idaho. The non-licensed pilot, the sole occupant in the aircraft, was fatally injured. The flight was being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country personal flight which originated from Caldwell, Idaho, approximately 65 minutes before the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.
A friend and fellow-pilot of the accident pilot said that they had flown, in separate aircraft, to Caldwell, Idaho, and were returning to the friend's private grass airstrip north of Emmett, Idaho. The pilot's friend said that he landed, and then realized that he had lost contact with the accident pilot. Witnesses said they saw the accident pilot performing a loop, and subsequently impact the ground.
The accident pilot's friend said that the accident pilot had an estimated 30 hours of flight experience in ultralights. He did not have a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight certificate, nor did he have a FAA ultralight exemption. The aircraft had two seats, a gross weight of 947 pounds, and a ten gallon fuel tank; therefore, it did not meet the FAR Part 103 regulation for an ultralight aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Trikes GTE 503 SL
- Category
- Ultralight
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Darwin S. [Steve] Moore
- Departed
- EUL · Caldwell, ID
- Destination
- NONE · Emmett, ID
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KEU, 16 nm away