Tullahoma Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388
Sunday, July 1, 1984 18:45 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ULTRALIGHT HAD BEEN FLOWN FOR 4 FTLS AND THE PLT UPON LANDING MENTIONED A POSSIBLE CONTROL PROBLEM WITH THE OWNER AND BUILDER. THE BUILDER THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE UP TO SHOW HOW FAST IT WOULD GO. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES OF FLT HE DOVE ATTHE RWY IN A FULL POWER SHALLOW DIVE AND ENTERED A LEFT TURN AT ABOUT 30 FT AGL. THE RIGHT AILERON WAS SEEN FLUTTERING BY A WITNESS JUST BEFORE THE RIGHT WING MOVED. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE LEFT WING SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE ACFT CRASHED NOSE FIRST AND BOUNCED ABOUT 40 FT FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT ON THE RWY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/1/1984
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1845
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City TULLAHOMA
Event State TENNESSEE
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 37388
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport TULLAHOMA
Event Location Nearest Airport ID THA
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 1081
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1749 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 335
Weather Observation Facility ID BNA
Elevation of weather observation facility 599
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 50
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 30000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Overcast
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 10
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1125
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 25384
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number NONE
NTSB Number ATL84FU006
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 103: Ultralight
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name RITZ
Aircraft Model A
Aircraft Series Identifier A
Aircraft Serial Number NONE
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Ultralight
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GERALD G. RITZ
Aircraft Owner Street Address BOX 154, RTE 2
Aircraft Owner City WARTRACE
Aircraft Owner State TN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 37830
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Unknown
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Unknown
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Unknown
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Oct 22 2001 3:26PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --