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Ultralight Crash update..
By: Beach Farmer
Just an update to Tim's post...looks like only one of the passengers made it back alive....
It was the pilot that died. The plane is registered to someone from Lancaster Pa.
By: KHbiker
Hey Tim, some stories use the word "glider" but ultralights have an engine. What was this thing?
KHbiker
I had the tail number but I don't have it with me here. It was the thing I posted. It had a Rotax engine and the triangle wing. One early report was it had a parachute, but it must have just looked like one.
www.northwing.com/maveric...
By: Mstaszew
It may have had one. The link you posted shows an optional rocket parachute. Now I have some Googling to do to see what a rocket parachute looks like when it deploys... so much for work.
Mstaszew
You are correct, they do have a ballistic parachute. BRS 1050 Rocket Parachute and if it is like what is used on a Cirrus then it looks like an old time round pleated parachute. I would not have expected a death if they used one of those.
Check out the video below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g...
I wonder how the man died? They should really release that type of info, in a respectful manner of course. These things need to be discussed in public so people can be more aware of what can go wrong.
By: jfalba
All I know is my guy always talked about wind shear or turbulence and you are relying on a piece of fabric to save you. Not going to happen. Not enought weight or something like that its been many years but just like those people that use those flying suits. Eventually you will meet your maker.
there is no leeway for mechanical failure. no time. unlike most airplane issues they have some kind of time to figure out the problem and solve it. He was also an air marshall after 9/11 and was a big reason why they got their guns in the cockpit. He petitioned everybody.
things were drilled into me like safety. i will say on my deathbed The glock goes with the car. The car goes with the glock. Seriously. Drilled into me. and what types of planes I could go on.
jfalba
Flying big birds in bad weather requires a pilot to know about down bursts and wind shear, but the weather yesterday was severe clear and lite winds. Perfect for the ultra lites.
Like anything else its safe until it's not, stuff happens. 88% of general aviation crashes are from Human error. I've flown the Cirrus SR22T and its a dream. The Vision jet can even land itself in the pilot is incapable due to a medical condition
I flew a Piper Warrior with an instructor up until we did the air stall...I could have made a diamond out of a piece of coal with my butt on that maneuver. While I was at the school one of the instructors who I hung out with a few times was killed because the Lawyer who he worked for demanded to be flown to Boston for dinner on his King Air in bad weather. They never made it. That cooled my interest in flying for a while...not to mention the cost.
I got to fly a 747 Sim from PHX to LA in the dark. I didnt really know the instruments but he barked the orders, lol. He took my dad in a SIM later and OMG my dad LOVED it. Dad was part of a Liberator crew in WW2 and had his own private plane after the war. the only thing that ever happened all the flying we did was a plane that was leaking fuel in the air and that pilot circled the airport until it stopped/ Overfilled.
Everyone should have that protection these days. We do. Lots of crazies out there. Stupid not to in our current climate of hate.
Bentmtn
If I could write a book about my life with him it would be a best seller. Especially after 9/11.
I sold my plane 2 months before 911 and living near Wash DC after 911 with a plane was no fun for a long time - lots of flying restrictions. My timing was near perfect.
It was pretty far off shore where it went into the ocean. There is no good reason for an aircraft that low being that far away from land. Pilots are taught to stay near land that you could glide to if you lost an engine. That orange marker is pretty far out there.
www.13newsnow.com/article...
Yah Tim. Basic flying stuff. When I towed banners 3 Summers in the early 80's we stayed close enough to land on shore if the engine quit. Missing beach goers was the next decision. Luckily never had to do that!
When I was flying with CAP (civil air patrol) the plane had a emergency beacon receiver because that what CAP did, we looked for downed aircraft with it. I was returning to Manteo from Raleigh and the detector started going off. I went about 5-6 miles offshore looking for the plane or boat transmitting the emergency signal. I found it and it was a EPIRB accidentally going off, but I was so far from ground it made me nervous being out that far and I was at 4000 feet.
A buddy of mine towed banners from 86-89 in the summer while going to college to add to his flying hours. He describe it as a few seconds of excitement followed by hours of excruciating boredom Lol.
Yep. I was "Draggin Rags" in 1981, 82 and 83 here. Towards the end of the Summer you were ready to finish. Since the goal is to build flight time for the big job, which finally worked for me.
We lost a banner tower somewhere around 2001 I think it was. He stalled and at 100 ft that is bad. Another banner tower got the rope around her tail and she went in the water, but lived to fly again.
Just a few years ago a guy caught the rope on the tail and it affected his pitch control (up and down). He tried to turn around to land and got too low over the trees (North side of airport). The banner snagged the trees and he crashed and died. So that's 3 that I know of.
The one you mention in 2001 was the same operator I flew for.
NTSB has done a preliminary report on the accident. The report liens towards a wind gust that ripped the right wing fabric, but the report says there were 5 mph winds which is like nothing. Sounds like the wing failed for some reason. The picture is what one looks like.
Page 1 of 2 ERA22LA427
This information is preliminary and subject to change.
Aviation Investigation Preliminary Report
Location: Southern Shores, NC Accident Number: ERA22LA427
Date & Time: September 21, 2022, 10:00 Local Registration: N3283N
Aircraft: NORTHWING DESIGN APACHE
SPORT Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On September 21, 2022, about 1000 eastern daylight time, a Northwing Design aircraft, N3283N, was
substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Southern Shores, North Carolina. The
private pilot was fatally injured and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The weight-shift control
aircraft was operated as a Title 14?Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The passenger stated that his step-father performed a thorough preflight inspection which he also
performed, then the flight departed and flew north along the coast. After twice orbiting a house they
were staying at his step-father turned and proceeded south just offshore to return to the departure airport.
While en-route his father mentioned that the flight might encounter turbulence then about 5 minutes
later while flying about 400 yards offshore at 3,500 ft mean sea level between 55 and 60 miles-per-hour,
with scattered clouds below them, the passenger reported, it felt like "something punched the plane"
consistent with turbulence. He felt an upwards jar, then the airplane was out of control. It started
spiralling to the right and while descending towards the ocean he felt a force consistent with activation
of the airframe parachute, but he could not recall what altitude that was at. After water impact he
struggled but managed to release his restraint and remained in the water about 30 minutes before being
rescued. He further stated that when he felt the jar he looked to the right wing and noted "bracing
material" sticking out of the wing fabric and the right side of the wing was no longer stretched and was
much smaller than the left side of the wing.
The fuselage portion of the wreckage without the wing washed ashore south of where the accident
occurred and was first spotted on October 5, 2022. The wreckage was retained for further examination.