Sunrise Ultralight SPITFIRE II UNREG
5 April 1991 · Elk Grove, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 5 April 1991 at about 17:59 local time, a Sunrise Ultralight SPITFIRE II registered UNREG, operated by William Nelson, was involved in an accident near Elk Grove, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:59
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Elk Grove, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.4396, -121.2996
- Aircraft
- Sunrise Ultralight SPITFIRE II
- Registration
- UNREG
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- William Nelson
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX91LA170
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE FAILURE OF THE OPERATOR TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE NON-CERTIFICATED OWNER OF A NON-CERTIFICATED, NON-REGISTERED AIRPLANE, AND A NON-CERTIFICATED PASSENGER WERE MANEUVERING TO LAND AT AN AIRPORT DURING A FLIGHT IN WHICH THE PASSENGER WAS REPORTEDLY TEACHING THE OWNER HOW TO FLY. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO STALL AND DESCEND TO THE GROUND IN A RIGHT TURN FROM AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. BOTH OCCUPANTS RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE IS SIMILAR TO AN ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE BUT DOES NOT MEET THE ULTRALIGHT DEFINITION. BOTH OCCUPANTS DO NOT POSSESS AIRMAN OR MEDICAL CERTIFICATES.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jul 1991 | Cessna C-172P | Hesperia, California, United States | South Bay Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Cessna 172N | Napa, California, United States | Bridgeford Flying SVC. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Beechcraft 76 | Sacramento, California, United States | Altair Aviation Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1991 | Ayres S2R | Visalia, California, United States | Gilbert Aviation Industries | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1991 | Cessna 421C | Auburn, California, United States | Edward Mueller | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Champion 7GCBC | Lake Elsinore, California, United States | Halbeisen, John F | Fatal | 2 |