Turkan DELTA WING KITE TRIK UNREG

Summary

On 28 July 2003 at about 21:10 local time, a Turkan DELTA WING KITE TRIK registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Odessa, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 July 2003 at 21:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Odessa, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Tampa Bay Executive

Coordinates

28.1881, -82.6256

Aircraft

Turkan DELTA WING KITE TRIK

Registration

UNREG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Odessa → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA03LA150

1 person died.

The pilot's improper assembly and failure to connect a bolt following an attempted modification that resulted in airframe malfunction, and uncontrolled descent, and an impact with the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A close friend of the pilot who witnessed the accident stated that the pilot had just finished installing a training bar, so that the aircraft could be controlled from the back seat when he was giving flight instruction, and the witness further stated that the pilot was taking the aircraft for a test flight. According to witnesses, during the flight, the aircraft departed to the west, and climbed to about 100 feet, when all of a sudden the wings folded up vertically, and the aircraft spun, descended, and impacted the ground. The witnesses also said that they did not notice any change in the sound of the engine throughout the flight's duration. An FAA inspector who responded to the scene of the accident stated that examination of the unregistered aircraft showed that the left hand attach fitting had not been properly attached to the left hand end of the horizontal control bar, which caused the wings to fold upward.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.