Mitchell A-10 UNREG

Summary

On 11 July 1983 at about 03:25 local time, a Mitchell A-10 registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Porterville, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

11 July 1983 at 03:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Porterville, California, United States

Nearest airport

Porterville (PTV)

Coordinates

35.9605, -118.9204

Aircraft

Mitchell A-10

Registration

UNREG

Category

Ultralight

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 103: Ultralight

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

LAX83FU010

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

AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT OF THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 700 FT AGL IN THE PATTERN & TURNED DOWNWIND. ACCORDING TO THE PLT'S PARTNER, THE ULTRALIGHT BEGAN A DUTCH ROLL TYPE OF MANEUVER, AND AFTER SEVERAL OSCILLATIONS, THE VEHICLE STALLED & ENTERED A SPIN TO THE LEFT. FOUR OTHER WITNESSES ALSO OBSERVED PARTS OF THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. ACCORDING TO THEM, THE VEHICLE'S WINGS BEGAN ROCKING ON DOWNWIND, THEN IT ENTERED A SPIN. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE PLT HAD APRX 40 HRS OF FIXED WING FLT TRAINING ABOUT 9 YRS PREVIOUSLY. ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF PLT FOR MITCHELL ACFT, THE PLT HAD COMPLETED A 1 WEEK GROUND SCHOOL COURSE & HAD 5.3 HRS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION IN A 2 PLACE VERSION OF THE ULTRALIGHT. ON HIS 1ST SOLO FLT, THE PLT DID NOT PERFORM SATISFACTORILY, DUE TO A PANIC REACTION & WAS ADVISED NOT TO FLY SOLO UNTIL AFTER ADDITIONAL DUAL INSTRUCTION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.