WPR22FA189

The pilot and passenger were on a local personal flight. Witnesses stated that they saw the weight-shift-control trike flying in the area for about 20-30 minutes before the accident. A witness on the south end of the airport saw the trike flying in the area as it made several passes over the airpark. He did not witness the accident but recalled the wind condition to be “super windy.” Another witness stated that the wind condition was “swift” with gusts at the time of the accident. The trike impacted a tree and the ground near the approach end of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the wing and carriage. The weather observations taken 25 minutes before the accident showed southerly winds at velocities of 4 to 11 knots with increasing velocities and gusts to 21 knots. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on this information, it is likely that the accident pilot allowed the airplane to exceed its critical angle of attack while on final approach and the trike entered an aerodynamic stall at too low an altitude to successfully recover. The strong, gusting wind conditions increased the likelihood of a sudden increase in angle of attack as the pilot approached the runway at a slow speed, already operating near the trike’s critical angle of attack.

On May 29, 2022, about 0800 central daylight time (cdt), an Airborne Windsports Edge weight shift control (WSC) light sport aircraft, commonly referred to as a trike, N490F, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Granite Shoals, Texas. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The trike was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A residential security camera located near the Granite Shoals/Bob Sylvester Airpark (2G5), Granite Shoals, Texas, captured the trike at 0709 taxiing towards the approach end of runway 20. Witnesses in the vicinity of 2G5 saw the trike flying in the area for about 20-30 minutes before the accident. A witness on the south end of the airport saw the trike flying in the area as it made several passes over the airpark. He did not witness the accident but recalled the wind condition to be “super windy.” Another witness stated that the wind condition was “swift” with gusts at the time of the accident. The 0735 cdt, weather observations from Horseshoe Bay Resort Airport (DZB), Horseshoe Bay, Texas, located about 4 miles south of the accident site, showed southerly winds at 4 knots increasing to 13 knots with gusts to 19 knots by 0915 cdt. At 0753, the wind conditions reported at the Burnet Municipal Airport (BMQ), Burnet, Texas, located about 13 miles northeast, of the accident site were from 190° at 11 knots gusting to 21 knots. The National Weather Service (NWS) Area Forecast Discussion also noted that the winds were expected to become gusty in the late morning, and the NWS had an Airman’s Meteorological Information (AIRMET) for low-level turbulence, which was also indicated by the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) sounding over the area. An examination of the accident site revealed that the trike impacted a mesquite tree near the approach end of runway 20. The trike’s wing separated from the carriage (cockpit area) and remained lodged in the tree. The wreckage debris field was about 115 ft long and on a southerly heading. The engine and carriage remained intact and came to rest at the end of the debris field. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airport was situated at an elevation of 860 ft above mean sea level. It was equipped with one runway where its surface is a mix of turf and gravel. The runway, designated 2/20, measured 2,000 ft long by 50 ft wide. The airport was not equipped with an air traffic control tower. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Weight-Shift Control Aircraft Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-5), “Power-on approaches at an airspeed above the normal approach speed should be used for landing in turbulent air. This provides for more energy and positive control of the aircraft when strong horizontal wind gusts, wind shear, or up and down drafts, are experienced. Like other power-on approaches(when the pilot can vary the amount of power), a coordinated combination of both speed and power adjustments is usually required. It is easiest to think of flying the aircraft onto the ground at an airspeed above the stall speed. The additional power provides the pilot the ability to reduce the descent rate to touch the wheels gently to the surface at a higher speed. Landing in turbulent air is where practice and experience in energy management are utilized. This precise coordination of power and speed for higher energy landings should first be practiced in calm air and can be used as the next step in learning landings after the student becomes proficient at low approaches.”