- Date
- July 4, 1983, 20:10 local (Jul 5, 1983, 03:10 UTC)
- Place
- Tacoma, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- UNREGAirmass Sunburst
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 39641
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The ultralight had previously flown to Tacoma with 2 phantom ultralights in preparation for the airshow. During descent the 3 acft had reached speeds of 75-80 mph. After landing, one of phantom plts asked the sunburst plt if he knew how fast he was going and he answered '...no,not really...' The sunburst was equipped with a graduated plastic tube with a movable float to indicate airspeed. The top mark is '55.' During the airshow witnesses observed the acft starting a descending left turn, then suddenly 'jerked' to the right, pitching up about 10 deg. The right wing went backwards, thenboth wings rotated upwards. The left wing front spar was found pulled outward from the bolt & aluminum spacer. The rightwing rear spar was separated from the bolt & bracket. The right wing flying cables separated at the right rear carry through attachment point. The plts blood alcohol level was 0.05%.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Airmass Sunburst
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Airframe hours
- 60
- Engine
- Cuyuna 430 CC, 30 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 103
- Operator
- Jeffery Castanga
- Registered owner
- Slade Holmes
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 20 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point -0 °F