Waspair Tomcat HM-81 UNREG

Summary

On 3 September 1983 at about 16:30 local time, a Waspair Tomcat HM-81 registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Roseville, 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

3 September 1983 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Roseville, California, United States

Coordinates

38.7601, -121.2809

Aircraft

Waspair Tomcat HM-81

Registration

UNREG

Category

Ultralight

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 103: Ultralight

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX83FU015

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 HAD ONLY FLOWN 1 FLT SINCE HE HAD CRASHED THE SAME ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE NEARLY 1 YR PREVIOUSLY. AN EYE WITNESS, WHO WAS PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL ULTRALIGHT ASSOCIATION, HAD TEST FLOWN THE REPAIRED VEHICLE BEFORE THE PLT FLEW IT. THE PLT, THE EYE WITNESS & A 3RD PLT THEN FLEW THEIR RESPECTIVE VEHICLES TO THE JENKO AIRSTRIP & RETURNED SUCCESSFULLY. NOTING THAT THE WIND HAD INCREASED, THE EYE WITNESS DEPARTED ALONE TO TEST THE WX. HE STATED HE ENCOUNTERED THE WORST TURBULENCE HE HAD EVER FLOWN IN. BEFORE HE COULD TELL THE OTHERS NOT TO TAKEOFF, THEY HAD ELECTED TO DEPART. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE EYE WITNESS SAW THE ACCIDENT VEHICLE IN AN INVERTED DIVE TO THE RIGHT FROM APRX 600 FT AGL. HE REPORTED THAT THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO RECOVER AT ABOUT 150 FT AGL, BUT THEN ROLLED TO THE RIGHT AGAIN & HIT THE GROUND. THE 3RD PLT SAID THE WIND WAS 'VERY SEVERE' & HE HAD A HARD TIME CONTROLLING HIS VEHICLE. THE PLT WAS WEARING HIS HELMET & HAD HIS SEAT BELT FASTENED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A SHOULDER HARNESS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.