Vector 610 UNREG

Summary

On 11 May 1983 at about 22:05 local time, a Vector 610 registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Turners Falls, Massachusetts, 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 May 1983 at 22:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Turners Falls, Massachusetts, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Vector 610

Registration

UNREG

Category

Ultralight

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 103: Ultralight

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC83FU004

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

ON 4/18/83, THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED BY HIGH WINDS. THIS NECESSITATED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT & REAR SPARS AS WELL AS THE BATTENS WHICH PROVIDED CURVATURE TO THE UPPER WING SURFACE. PRIOR TO A TEST FLT, A WEIGHTED TAIL WHEEL WAS ALSO INSTALLED. SUBSEQUENTLY, A TEST PLT TOOK OFF TO EVALUATE THE ULTRALIGHT. WITNESSES OBSERVED THAT THE PLT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 1000 FT, THEN BEGAN A SERIES OF MANEUVERS. WHILE PERFORMING A MANEUVER, SIMILAR TO A LAZY 8, WITH BANK ANGLES UP TO 60 TO 90 DEG, THE ULTRALIGHT'S LEFT WING FOLDED. THE VEHICLE THEN ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLEDDESCENT & CRASHED. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE AFT SPAR TIP HAD ROTATED AROUND THE AFT SPAR IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE OUTBOARD WING PANEL HAD BENT DOWN & REARWARD. HOLES HAD NOT BEEN DRILLED & STEEL POP RIVETS HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED, PER INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS, TO PREVENT THE SPAR TIP FROM ROTATING. ALSO, THE PLT'S BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS FOUND TO BE 95 MG%. THE TEST PLT ALSO PERFORMED MAINTENANCE ON THE ULTRALIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.