Airmass SUNBURST MODEL B UNREG

Summary

On 2 July 1983 at about 16:10 local time, a Airmass SUNBURST MODEL B registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Ernul, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

2 July 1983 at 16:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Ernul, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.2897, -77.0297

Aircraft

Airmass SUNBURST MODEL B

Registration

UNREG

Category

Ultralight

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 103: Ultralight

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Havelock

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL83FU003

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

THE PLT WAS EN ROUTE FROM AYDEN, NC, WHERE HE PURCHASED THE ULTRALIGHT, TO HIS HOME IN HAVELOCK, NC. WHILE EN ROUTE, HE HAD LANDED AT ERNUL, NC TO REFUEL. AFTER REFUELING, HE TOOK OFF, CIRCLED BACK OVER THE FIELD, THEN ADDED POWER & BEGAN TO CLIMB. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE LEFT WING FOLDED UP FROM THE ROOT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ULTRALIGHT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A STEEP NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT BOTH LEFT WING FLYING WIRES (CABLES) HAD SEPARATED WHERE THEY WERE ROUTED OVER THIMBLES FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE HANG CAGE. THE NICOPRESS SLEEVE (SWEDGE FITTING) ON ONE OF THE CABLES HAD BEEN INSTALLED OVER THE PLASTIC COATING ON THE CABLE, RATHER THAN DIRECTLY ON THE CABLE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.