Apollo North America TUNDRA N304AP

Summary

On 28 August 2007 at about 22:25 local time, a Apollo North America TUNDRA registered N304AP, operated by Apollo North America, Inc.,, was involved in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 August 2007 at 22:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Zephyrhills, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH)

Coordinates

28.2281, -82.1558

Aircraft

Apollo North America TUNDRA

Registration

N304AP

Engines

1

Operator

Apollo North America, Inc.,

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Zephyrhills → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA07LA136

2 people died.

Improper in-flight maneuvering that resulted in the weight-shift-aircraft's design limits being exceeded, wing failure, and a loss of control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses said that they saw an ultralight-type aircraft doing circles overhead, and that they heard a loud noise like a "pop" and then looked up and saw the aircraft with its wings folded straight up. One witness said that she then saw the aircraft roll over two times, and then it dove straight to the ground. In general, operational limitations of weight-shift-aircraft are: 60 degrees angle of bank; 30 to 45 degrees pitch up and down; positive Gs at all times, with no sustained zero Gs and negative Gs; and no aerobatics allowed. Postcrash examinations of the airframe, flight controls, and engine, did not reveal any evidence of preaccident anomalies. Examination of the wreckage revealed evidence of an in-flight breakage of the wing's structural components under high negative g-loading, consistent with the aircraft being operated outside its parameters.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.