WPR13LA313

Witnesses observed the weight-shift-control aircraft flying at a low altitude down the river, and the solo student pilot waving to people on the ground. As the airplane approached a set of transmission wires about 100 feet above the ground, the pilot banked the airplane sharply right to avoid them. One witness said the bank angle was more than 90 degrees. It is likely that the pilot was unable to maintain control of the airplane during this maneuver as it lost altitude. The airplane subsequently struck another set of wires about 30 feet above the ground and cartwheeled to the ground.

The North Wing Sport X2 aircraft has two seats and a maximum gross weight of 1,060 pounds. The manufacturer's Pilot Operating Handbook states that prohibited maneuvers include steep turns beyond 60 degrees of bank and pitch angles of more than 30 degrees up or down. The weight shift aircraft was powered by a Rotax 582 engine, which produced 65 horsepower. The pilot had purchased the airplane on May 12, 2013. The aircraft was issued a special airworthiness certificate in the light sport aircraft category on June 21, 2012. On July 7, 2013, about 0938 Pacific daylight time, a North Wing UUM Inc. Sport X2, N467YN, was substantially damaged when it impacted transmission wires and fell to the ground near Parker Dam, California. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was fatally injured. The pilot/owner was operating the weight-shift-control aircraft under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal local flight, which was maneuvering for viewers on the ground at the time of the accident. The takeoff location and time are not known. A flight plan had not been filed. A witness said the weight-shift aircraft was flying down the Colorado River towards a large rock on the Arizona side. The aircraft banked right, and the pilot began waving at the people on the California side of the river. There was a set of power lines that spanned the river about 100 feet above the ground, and the pilot turned the aircraft sharply right to avoid them. One witness said he banked more than 90 degrees. The aircraft lost altitude and immediately struck a second set of wires about 30 feet above the ground with its right wing. The weight-shift aircraft cartwheeled to the ground. The San Bernardino County Coroner's Office performed an autopsy on the pilot on July 15, 2013. The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology tests on the pilot. The tests were negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol and drugs. The pilot had a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) student pilot certificate issued on May 12, 2013. He did not have an airman's medical certificate; however, only a current driver's license was required to fly light sport aircraft. His instructor said that the pilot had about 18 hours of training in the aircraft and about 1,000 hours of experience in hang gliders. Examination of photos taken by local authorities revealed that the aircraft came to rest in front of the Echo Lodge Resort clubhouse, Parker Dam. The parking lot surface was hard pack-dirt and gravel. There was a ground scar/gouge, about 18 inches in length, with red transfer material in and around it. It led to a small fiberglass shattered nose fairing, which had SPORT X2 and NAVAJO written on it. The ground scar was consistent with the aircraft impacting the terrain in a vertical manner, with the nose fairing contacting the ground first. The right wing's outer half leading edge exhibited chaffingand fabric tears. That portion of the wing was slightly bent. The main body of the aircraft was resting on its right side, and numerous support and wing structure components were bent or broken. One of the three propeller blades was broken at its mid-span. The transparent fuel tank was about half full.