American Aerolights EAGLE XL UNREG

Summary

On 31 July 1984 at about 12:45 local time, a American Aerolights EAGLE XL registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Smithfield, Virginia, 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

31 July 1984 at 12:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Smithfield, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Atlantic Ultralights

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

American Aerolights EAGLE XL

Registration

UNREG

Category

Ultralight

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 103: Ultralight

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO84FU002

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

THE PLT OF THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE, A STUDENT, WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH HIS INSTRUCTOR THRU USE OF A PORTABLE HAND-HELD UHF TRANSCEIVER. ABOUT 10 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED HIM TO RETURN TO THE AIRSTRIP FOR A PRACTICE POWER OFF LANDING. DURING THE APCH, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ABOUT 1/2 MI FROM THE STRIP AT 600 TO 800 FT AGL, THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED HIM TO REDUCE THE POWER TO IDLE. THE INSTRUCTOR HAD HEARD THE POWER REDUCTION TO ABOUT 50% WHEN HE OBSERVED THE NOSE OF THE VEHICLE PITCH DOWN. FROM HIS POSITION, THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO FLIP OVER, SIMILAR TO AN OUTSIDE LOOP, BUT WITH NO LOSS OF ALT. (THE OPERATOR BELIEVED THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A RAPID NOSE DOWN, THEN NOSE UP PITCH WHICH APPEARED TO BE A TUMBLE.) IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE VEHICLE RETURNED TO AN UPRIGHT POSITION, THE WINGS FOLDEDUPWARD, THEN THE ULTRALIGHT ENTERED A DESCENT & CRASHED. NO EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE OR PRE-ACCIDENT MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. APATHOLOGICAL EXAM REVEALED EVIDENCE OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE & ANGINA. MEDICAL EXAMINER SUSPECTED PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.