Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cloverdale, California 95425
Saturday, August 25, 1984 11:55 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ULTRALIGHT WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR LANDING. THE ACFT WAS FLYING LEVEL AT ABOUT 300 FT AGL WHEN IT STARTED A SERIES OF ROLLER-COASTER MANEUVERS WHICH INCREASED INTO A STEEP ASCENT AND NOSE OVER FOLLOWED BY A DESCENDING DIVE INTO THE GROUND. THE ENGINE NOISE, WHICH SOUNDED AS IF IT WERE AT FULL POWER, DID NOT CHANGE NOR DID ANY OF THE OBSERVERS SEE ANY OBJECTS FALL FROM THE ACFT. A PARACHUTE WORN BY THE PLT WAS NOT DEPLOYED. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PREIMPACT FAILURES OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. THE AUTOPSY DID NOT REVEAL ANY PREIMPACT CONDITIONS WHICH WOULD HAVE INTERFERED WITH THE PLTS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/25/1984
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1155
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City CLOVERDALE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95425
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Partial - limited by briefer
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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) 1557
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 26771
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 LAX84FU032
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 103: Ultralight
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name ULTRALIGHT UFM
Aircraft Model EAST RISER
Aircraft Series Identifier EAST RISER
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 175
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 20
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DAVID R. PICKERING
Aircraft Owner Street Address 405 FIRST ST
Aircraft Owner City HEALDSBURG
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95448
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 None
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 HEALDSBURG
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
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 Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
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 --