Solo Wings WINDLASS UNREG

Summary

On 28 September 2019 at about 23:09 local time, a Solo Wings WINDLASS registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Dalton, Georgia, 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 September 2019 at 23:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Dalton, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Pratermill Flight Park (GA72)

Coordinates

34.8833, -84.8889

Aircraft

Solo Wings WINDLASS

Registration

UNREG

Year built

1998

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dalton → Dalton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19LA286

1 person died.

The pilot's exceedance of the aircraft's critical angle of attack during a turn shortly after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain. Contributing was the pilot's lack of experience in the accident aircraft.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot departed in the weight-shift control aircraft and climbed to just above tree height before entering a turn to the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern. Witnesses reported that the aircraft appeared to stall in the turn before making an uncontrolled, turning descent toward the ground. Although the pilot had received about 13 hours of instruction in weight-shift control aircraft, the accident flight was his first flight in the accident aircraft, and he did not have an endorsement for solo operation of a weight-shift control aircraft. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. It is likely that the pilot failed to maintain airspeed during the turn, which resulted in an exceedance of the aircraft's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.