Airborne X-SERIES UNREG

Summary

On 7 October 2018 at about 23:00 local time, a Airborne X-SERIES registered UNREG was involved in an accident near North Pole, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 October 2018 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

North Pole, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Lakewood (78AA)

Coordinates

64.7717, -147.2467

Aircraft

Airborne X-SERIES

Registration

UNREG

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Eielson AFB → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC19LA004

1 person was seriously injured.

The student pilot's decision to fly the weight-shift-controlled airplane with no training in the airplane type, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain shortly after takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot indicated that this flight was his first in the unregistered trike, and he had no flight training in the airplane but had read the manuals. After applying full power and reaching an airspeed of about 30 knots, he pushed forward on the control bar to initiate the liftoff. He stated that, shortly after liftoff, the trike turned right, "stalled," and impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the carriage keel and wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he believed the trike was an ultralight aircraft. However, according to the trike's operating manual, the aircraft specifications exceeded the maximum takeoff weight, fuel capacity, and seat limitations stated in 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 103 for ultralight aircraft. It is likely that, given the pilot's general lack of experience and training in the airplane type, he lost control during takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.