Pterodactyl ASCENGER II+ UNREG

Summary

On 30 July 1983 at about 20:16 local time, a Pterodactyl ASCENGER II+ registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Round Rock, Texas, 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

30 July 1983 at 20:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Round Rock, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Edville

Coordinates

30.5105, -97.6696

Aircraft

Pterodactyl ASCENGER II+

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

FTW83FU002

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 ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE HAD BEEN RECENTLY BUILT & HAD BEEN FLOWN ONCE BY AN EXPERIENCED ULTRALIGHT PLT. HE REPORTED THERE WERE NO DISCREPANCIES IN THE VEHICLE'S ASSEMBLY OR FLT CHARACTERISTICS. THE OWNER & 2 OTHER PERSONNEL MET AT THE FLYING AREA & ASSEMBLED THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY ONE WITH FLYING EXPERIENCE TOOK OFF & MADE SEVERAL PASSES OVER THE AREA. ON THE LAST PASS, HE WAVED BOTH HANDS & YELLED WHAT 1 WITNESS THOUGHT WAS 'I LOVE IT.' SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE VEHICLE TURNED INTO THE WIND & BEGAN OSCILLATING IN PITCH. THE NOSE THEN PITCHED UP TO OR BEYOND A VERTICLE ATTITUDE & THE VEHICLE BEGAN DESCENDING TAIL 1ST, THEN CRASHED. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE WINGS FOLDED, BUT THEY WERE NOT SURE WHETHER THE WINGS FOLDED BEFORE OR AFTER THE VEHICLE ENTERED THE TAIL SLIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR A TAIL SLIDE. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT 1 LANDING WIRE & ALL 4 CANARD BRACE WIRES HAD SEPARATED FROM OVERLOAD. THE WIND WAS GUSTINGTO 20 KTS, A DUST DEVIL WAS SEEN IN THE VICINITY & SVRL MORE-EXPERIENCED PLTS HAD STOPPED FLYING DUE TO THE WINDS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.