Venus TRIKE UNREG
17 May 2009 · Kuna, Idaho, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 17 May 2009 at about 02:30 local time, a Venus TRIKE registered UNREG, operated by Jon A. Nicholson, was involved in an accident near Kuna, Idaho, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 02:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Kuna, Idaho, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.4817, -116.4586
- Aircraft
- Venus TRIKE
- Registration
- UNREG
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Jon A. Nicholson
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Kuna → Kuna
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR09CA259
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
The complete loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the overload failure of the nose landing gear strut during the roll out over soft/rough terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The non-certificated pilot of the unregistered two-place weight-shift trike was flying over his ranch when its 65 horsepower engine suddenly lost all power. Although he was able to descend to a successful power-off touchdown, during the landing roll the trike encountered rough/soft terrain, resulting in the overload failure of the nose gear strut. The nose of the trike then dug into the dirt, and its airframe nosed over onto its back. The accident was eventually reported by a family member of the passenger, and the Federal Aviation Administration Inspector who went to the ranch to interview the pilot reported that the pilot had already disposed of the airframe and the engine because of their extensive damage. The pilot said that he had no idea why the engine lost power, and that he completed a preflight inspection prior to the flight. No further determination could be made as to the basis for the engine's loss of power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jun 2009 | Cessna 182M | Atlanta, Idaho, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Jul 2009 | Flight CTSW | Sulphur Creek, Idaho, United States | Heller Roger W | No injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 2009 | Paul B Johnson AVID MARK IV | Nampa, Idaho, United States | Paul B. Johnson | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 2009 | Cessna 180 | Pistol Creek, Idaho, United States | Maslen Holbrook | No injuries | - |
| 24 Dec 2009 | Cessna 172M | Albion, Idaho, United States | Thaddeus Fickel | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 2009 | Wsk-Pzl Meilec PZL M18B | Rockland, Idaho, United States | Agrijet Inc | Minor injuries | - |