SAN ANTONIO, TX, USA
UNREG
CHALLENGER II
The pilot of the ultralight vehicle inadvertently stalled the ultralight vehicle on his first flight while turning from crosswind to downwind. The 70 year old passenger/co-owner of the vehicle had been experiencing cardiovascular problems, and as recently as 2 days prior to the accident, fainted and passed out while working on the vehicle with the other owner. He refused to go to the hospital with the responding paramedics for a checkup; however, he agreed to 'ground himself' until his next visit with a cardiologist scheduled for the day after the accident. A long time friend and pilot was asked to fly the ultralight. The co-owner elected to accompany the private pilot as a 'backseat pilot' in the tandem vehicle. Several runups and high speed taxi checks were conducted by the private pilot, who had not previously flown the vehicle, to 'get the feel of the machine.' Witnesses observed the nose of the ultralight gradually pitch down during the turn to the downwind leg. The vehicle impacted the ground in a nearly vertical nose down attitude, in a slight right turn, coming to rest in the inverted position.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 8, 1998, at 1258 central standard time, an unregistered two-place Challenger II ultralight vehicle was destroyed when it impacted terrain following a loss of control while on the downwind leg at the Horizon Airport near San Antonio, Texas. The private pilot and the passenger/co-owner of the vehicle were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. The flight was originating from the Horizon Airport at the time of the accident. According to the surviving co-owner of the vehicle, the carburetor and a starter pull rope were recently replaced on the ultralight by the two owners. The 70-year-old passenger/co-owner of the vehicle had been having heart problems, and as recently as 2 days prior to the accident, fainted and passed out while working on the vehicle with the other owner. He refused to go to the hospital with the responding paramedics for a checkup. He agreed, however, to "ground himself" until his next visit with a cardiologist scheduled for the day after the accident. The surviving owner stated that they asked "a long time friend and experienced pilot who lives on a mobile home at the airport" to fly the ultralight for them. The co-owner who had not been feeling well decided to accompany the private pilot as a "backseat pilot" in the tandem vehicle. The surviving owner stated that several run-ups and high speed taxi checks were conducted by the private pilot prior to the first flight to "get the feel of the machine." The flight departed from runway 16 at the Horizon Airport. The ultralight was observed by other pilots at the airport climbing to approximately 300 feet agl. During the turn from crosswind to downwind, witnesses observed the nose of the ultralight gradually pitch down until the vehicle assumed a near vertical attitude, and subsequently impacted the ground. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The 50 year old pilot occupied the front seat of the ultralight. According to FAA records, the pilot was issued a private pilot certificate with airplane single engine land privileges on April 10, 1978. He was also issued a turbo-prop flight engineer certificate on May 5, 1987. His last second class medical certificate was issued on June 4, 1991. At the time of his last medical, the pilot reported on his application that he had accumulated a total of 3,408 hours. The pilot's flight log book was not located during the course of the investigation. Therefore, the investigation could not determine how many of the 3,408 hours were as pilot and how many as flight engineer. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The surviving owner stated that they purchased the 1983 vehicle from an individual from Padre Island, Texas, approximately 2 years ago. He stated that there were no records available when they purchased the vehicle, and to his knowledge, the vehicle had never been registered with the FAA. The owner further stated that the N501BC markings on the tail where probably painted by the previous owner "to keep the FAA folks happy." WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The ultralight impacted in a muddy oat field about 1/8 of a mile from the perimeter of the airport, on a measured magnetic heading of 082 degrees. Physical evidence and signatures at the accident site indicate that the vehicle impacted the ground in a nearly vertical nose down attitude, in a slight right turn. The ultralight came to rest in the inverted position on a heading of 260 degrees. The nose landing gear assembly, portions of the nose structure of the ultralight, and pieces of the plexiglass windshield were found in a shallow crater at the initial point of ground impact. The 18 inch deep crater was approximately 24 inches wide by 36 inches long. An inventory of the vehicle revealed that all of the components were found within a 40 foot radius from the initial point of impact. The leading edges of both wings sustained spanwise crushing damage. Both wing lift struts were fractured. Flight control continuity was established to the rudder, elevator, and the full span ailerons. The empennage/tail assembly separated from the airframe and remained attached by mean of the rudder control cables. The 60 horsepower 2-cylinder Rotax 447 engine separated from its mount and remained partially attached to the airframe by the engine control cables. Engine control continuity was established from the cockpit controls to the engine. The propeller remained attached to the engine gear box. The outer 10 inches of one of the propeller blades separated from the blade. The fractured propeller piece was found 40 feet forward of the initial point of impact. The 5-gallon plastic fuel receptacle was compromised; however, over a quart of automotive fuel was retained in the receptacle. The flight control stick for the rear seat was found bent forward and fractured at the base. The control stick for the front seat occupant was found in place and undamaged. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION An autopsy and toxicological tests were ordered and performed. The autopsies were conducted by the Bexar County Office of the Medical Examiner in San Antonio, Texas, on 09 November 1998. Toxicological findings were negative. SURVIVAL ASPECTS Neither occupant was wearing a helmet. The ultralight vehicle was not equipped with shoulder harnesses for either occupant. The seat belts for both occupants were found still latched; however, they were found separated from their respective mounting points during the impact sequence. Both occupants were ejected from the vehicle during the accident sequence. According to the airport manager, emergency and medical personnel responded to the accident site within 10 minutes of the occurrence. There was no fire. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The wreckage was released to the surviving owner upon completion of the field portion of the investigation.
The pilot's inadvertent stall. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in type of vehicle.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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