Pteradactyl ASCENDER UNREG

Summary

On 10 April 1983 at about 20:00 local time, a Pteradactyl ASCENDER registered UNREG, operated by Floyd Griffeth, was involved in an accident near Girdwood, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

10 April 1983 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Girdwood, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Girdwood (AQY)

Coordinates

60.8993, -148.9103

Aircraft

Pteradactyl ASCENDER

Registration

UNREG

Category

Ultralight

Engines

1

Operator

Floyd Griffeth

Operating rule

Part 103: Ultralight

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC83FU003

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF, HAD TURNED TO A DOWNWIND HEADING & WAS CLIMBING, WHEN IT BEGAN TO OSCILLATE LONGITUDINALLY. AFTER A FEW OSCILLATIONS, THE VEHICLE NOSED OVER, THE WINGS FOLDED & THE ULTRALIGHT CRASHED TO THE GROUND. ALL PARTS OF THE ULTRALIGHT WERE ACCOUNTED FOR & AN EXAM REVEALED THAT THE FRACTURES WERE INDICATIVE OF OVERLOAD FAILURES. REPORTEDLY, THE PLT HAD ONLY ABOUT 5 TO 10 HRS IN THIS MAKE & MODEL. ACCORDING TO THE PLT'S FRIENDS, THEY HAD HEARD HIM TALK ABOUT HAVING TO HOLD THE NOSE DOWN DURING FLT. THEY STATED HE HAD A TENDENCY TO 'BURY THE AIRSPEED' WHILE FLYING. ACCORDING TO OTHER PLTS THAT HAVE FLOWN THIS ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE, THE PTERODACTYL CAN ACHIEVE 55 KTS WITH ONLY SLIGHTLY OVER HALF THROTTLE, IT BECOMES INCREASINGLY PITCH SENSITIVE AT HIGH SPEEDS & IT REQUIRES EXCESSIVE NOSE DOWN PITCH CONTROL ABOVE 55 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.