Lazair ULTRALIGHT UNREG

Summary

On 15 November 1983 at about 22:40 local time, a Lazair ULTRALIGHT registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Elsinore, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

15 November 1983 at 22:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Elsinore, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Lazair ULTRALIGHT

Registration

UNREG

Category

Ultralight

Engines

4

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX84FU022

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER PURCHASING THE 2 ENG ULTRALIGHT, THE PLT MODIFIED IT BY INSTALLING 2 ADDITIONAL ENGS. THESE WERE 6 HP PIONEER ENGSINSTALLED IN THE #1 & #4 POSITIONS. JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WITNESSES OBSERVED THE VEHICLE FLYING OVER THE CENTER OFA LAKE AT APRX 250 FT & AT HI SPEED. REPORTEDLY, IT ENTERED A RIGHT BANK, WHICH CONTINUED, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, THE VEHICLEDESCENDED & STRUCK THE WATER IN A NOSE 1ST ATTITUDE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ON AT LEAST 2 OCCASIONS, AN OUTBOARDENG HAD INADVERTENTLY SHUT DOWN, INFLT. A FRIEND OF THE PLT HAD FLOWN THIS SAME VEHICLE & HAD EXPERIENCED AN OUTBOARD ENG SHUTDOWN. HE CONFIRMED THAT FULL OPPOSITE RUDDER WAS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. ALL PROPELLERS WERE FOUND BROKEN,EXCEPT #4 WHICH WAS NOT DAMAGED. FLEXIBLE FUEL LINES WERE FOUND INSERTED IN THE FUEL TANK TO PICKUP FUEL FOR THE #1 & #4ENGS; HOWEVER, THEY WERE NOT SECURED TO ASSURE PROPER DEPTH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A SHOULDER HARNESS. THE PLT HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY KNOWN PLT GROUND TRAINING. HE HAD FLOWN THE ACFT APRX 5 HRS AFTER IT WAS MODIFIED WITH 4 ENGS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.