LANDENBERG, PA, USA
UNREG
TERATORN TA
THE PLT HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN 75 TO 80 HRS IN AN ULTRALIGHT CONTROLLED BY A COMBINATION OF WEIGHT-SHIFT & RUDDER. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, HE & HIS PARTNER HAD PRACTICED A SERIES OF CROW HOPS IN A TERATORN TA. THE TERATORN TA WAS A 3-AXIS CONTROLLED ULTRALIGHT WHICH HAD STICK CONTROLLED SPOILERONS & ELEVATOR & A FOOT PEDAL ACTUATED RUDDER. THE PLT STATED THAT ON HIS LAST CROW HOP, HE WAS FLYING ABOUT 5 FT ABOVE THE GROUND ACROSS AN OPEN FIELD WHEN HE FOUND HIMSELF INADVERTENTLY HEADING TOWARD A SINGLE, 40 FT TREE. HE WAS UNABLE TO TURN AWAY & DECIDED TO FLY OVER THE TREE. A CLIMB WAS INITIATED. HOWEVER, AS THE ULTRALIGHT REACHED ABOUT TREETOP LEVEL, THE VEHICLE MUSHED, THEN THE RIGHT WING DROPPED & THE ULTRALIGHT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THIS WAS THE PLT'S 1ST FLT IN THIS AIRCRAFT, WHICH HE & HIS PARTNER HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED. HE HAD NOT RECEIVED DUAL INSTRUCTION IN EITHER A TWO-PLACE ULTRALIGHT OR A CERTIFICATED POWERED ACFT. NO PREIMPACT/MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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