Pterodactyl ASCENDER II UNREG

Summary

On 31 March 1983 at about 20:00 local time, a Pterodactyl ASCENDER II registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Lehighton, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

31 March 1983 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lehighton, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.8291, -75.7093

Aircraft

Pterodactyl ASCENDER II

Registration

UNREG

Category

Ultralight

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 103: Ultralight

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lehighton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC83FU001

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

SEVERAL WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE TAKEOFF & CLIMB IN A CIRCULAR PATTERN TO AN ALT OF ABOUT 1500 FT. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE, THE ULTRALIGHT WAS TURNING WITH A STEEP ANGLE OF BANK. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE WITNESSES HEARD A REDUCTION IN POWER. TWO WITNESSES HEARD A POP/PUFF SOUND. A 3RD WITNESS STATED THE ULTRALIGHT FLIPPED OVER TWICE. ALL 3 WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE WINGS FOLDED OR COLLAPSED & THE ULTRALIGHT FELL OR DOVE TO THE GROUND. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE LEADING EDGE & REAR TUBULAR SPARS HAD FAILED IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION (RELATIVE TO THE AIRFRAME). ALSO, THE KEEL WAS BROKEN, FORWARD OF THE REAR SPARS & THE KING POST WAS BENT DOWNWARD AT ABOUT THE MIDPOINT. NONE OF THE CABLES FAILED. DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE, THE RIGHT WINGLET SEPARATED & FELL ABOUT 100 FT FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.