Ultralight Flight PHANTOM II UNREG

Summary

On 13 April 1985 at about 18:03 local time, a Ultralight Flight PHANTOM II registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Erie, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

13 April 1985 at 18:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Erie, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

40.0210, -105.0405

Aircraft

Ultralight Flight PHANTOM II

Registration

UNREG

Category

Ultralight

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Erie Airpark → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Not Reported

NTSB number

DEN85FTE01

2 people 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 DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED TO GROUND IMPACT FOLLOWING A FAILURE OF THE OUTBOARD FORWARD WING SUPPORT CABLE/SWAGE. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ULTRALIGHT TURNED FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AND UPON LEVELING OUT, THE LEFT WING SNAPPED UPWARD, THE RIGHT WING COLLAPSED AND THE ULTRALIGHT ENTERED A DIVING TURN TO THE GROUND. POST ACCIDENT TESTS DISCLOSED ALL 4 CABLE ASS'Y WERE MANUFACTURED WITH THE NICROPRESS OVAL M SLEEVE BUT WERE SWAGED WITH THE WRONG SWAGING TOOL (SLIGHTLY LARGER) FOR THE OVAL P. THE CABLE SHOWED EVIDENCE OF FAILURE AT THE NICROPRESS SWAGED CONNECTIONS. TENSILE TESTS REVEALED THE IMPROPERLY SWAGED CONNECTIONS FAILED PREMATURELY DUE TO SLIPPAGE AT THE CONNECTIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.