Accident Airmass Sunburst unreg.,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 43181
 
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Date:Monday 4 July 1983
Time:20:10
Type:Airmass Sunburst
Owner/operator:Jeffery Castanga
Registration: unreg.
MSN:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Tacoma, WA -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Private
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE ULTRALIGHT HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN TO TACOMA WITH 2 PHANTOM ULTRALIGHTS IN PREPARATION FOR THE AIRSHOW. DURING DESCENT THE 3 ACFT HAD REACHED SPEEDS OF 75-80 MPH. AFTER LANDING, ONE OF PHANTOM PLTS ASKED THE SUNBURST PLT IF HE KNEW HOW FAST HE WAS GOING AND HE ANSWERED '...NO,NOT REALLY...' THE SUNBURST WAS EQUIPPED WITH A GRADUATED PLASTIC TUBE WITH A MOVABLE FLOAT TO INDICATE AIRSPEED. THE TOP MARK IS '55.' DURING THE AIRSHOW WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT STARTING A DESCENDING LEFT TURN, THEN SUDDENLY 'JERKED' TO THE RIGHT, PITCHING UP ABOUT 10 DEG. THE RIGHT WING WENT BACKWARDS, THENBOTH WINGS ROTATED UPWARDS. THE LEFT WING FRONT SPAR WAS FOUND PULLED OUTWARD FROM THE BOLT & ALUMINUM SPACER. THE RIGHTWING REAR SPAR WAS SEPARATED FROM THE BOLT & BRACKET. THE RIGHT WING FLYING CABLES SEPARATED AT THE RIGHT REAR CARRY THROUGH ATTACHMENT POINT. THE PLTS BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS 0.05%. CAUSE:

Sources:

NTSB: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001214X43941

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added

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