Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Birchwood Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chugiak, Alaska 99567
Sunday, March 20, 1983 16:00 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A TEST PLT & DEALER FOR THE MANUFACTURER INSPECTED THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE & MADE ADJUSTMENTS PRIOR TO MAKING A TEST FLIGHT AFTER IT WAS ASSEMBLED. HE STATED THAT BEFORE TAKEOFF, HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS SETTING THE CARBURETOR MIXTURE & THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS NOT WORKING WELL. DURING EARLIER TAXI TESTS, THE ENG CEASED OPERATING A NUMBER OF TIMES. FINALLY, ON THE LAST TAXI TEST, THE ENG OPERATED AT FULL RPM & HE ELECTED TO TAKEOFF. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ULTRALIGHT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 100 FT AGL, THEN BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO GLIDE TO A CLEARING & SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED INTO TREES. THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN THE TREES & THE PLT REMAINED SECURE BY HIS LAP BELT & SHOULDER HARNESS. HOWEVER, AFTER HE RELEASED HIS RESTRAINT SYSTEM, HE WAS INJURED WHEN HE FELL APRX 40 FT TO THE GROUND. THE TEMP & DEW POINT WERE 40 & 36 DEG, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO ICING PROBABILITY CURVES, SERIOUS ICING WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE AT CRUISE POWER. HOWEVER, ICING WAS NOT VERIFIED. THERE WAS NO PROVISION FOR CARBURETOR HEAT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/20/1983 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | CHUGIAK |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99567 |
| Event Date Year | 1983 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BIRCHWOOD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | Z15 |
| 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 | 96 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1155 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 232 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 40 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| 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 | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1940 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 22170 |
| 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 | ANC83LU001 |
| 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 | WASPAIR |
| Aircraft Model | HM-81 TOMCAT TOUR |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | HM-81 TOMC |
| Aircraft Serial Number | |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Ultralight |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Not Registered |
| 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 | Mar 20 1983 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JACK HUGHES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 202 |
| Aircraft Owner City | GLENNALLEN |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99588 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MICHEAL S. LINEKER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 6060 |
| Operator City | KETCHIKAN |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 99901 |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1600 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| 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 | Landing |
| 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 | -- |