Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Shafter Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Shafter, California 93263
Wednesday, May 18, 1983 19:50 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE VEHICLE INVOLVED IN THIS MISHAP WAS A WIZARD W-1 ULTRALIGHT WHICH WAS ASSEMBLED FROM A KIT SUPPLIED BY THE MANUFACTURER, US, INC. IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE CONTROLLER BY 'WEIGHT SHIFTS' OF THE PLT, AND FEATURED A GROUND ADJUSTABLE FIXED HORIZONTAL STABILIZER & A MOVABLE OPERATOR HARNESS ATTACH POINT FOR TRIM ADJUSTMENT. THE PLT/OPERATOR HAD MADE 'CROW HOPS' FOR APRX 15 MIN TO ADJUST THE VEHICLE TRIM PRIOR TO TAKING OFF & PERFORMING HIGHER FLT. AFTER A NORMAL TAKEOFF RUN & DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE ENG LOST POWER AT APRX 50 FT. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE TRIM WAS STILL NOT CORRECT & THE VEHICLE STALLED, THEN ENTERED A DESCENT & CONTACTED THE GROUND IN A HARD LANDING. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE LEFT WHEEL ASSEMBLY COLLAPSED. THE OPERATER, SUSPENDED FROM A TURBULAR FRAME BY A WIRE & HARNESS ONLY, CONTACTED THE GROUND & RECEIVED BACK & NECK INJURIES. THE OPERATOR STATED THE ENG STOPPED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. HE WAS A LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR FOR WIZARD ULTRALIGHTS & HAD ACCUMULATED 40 OF 50 HRS IN THE WIZARD W-1.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/18/1983 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1950 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | SHAFTER |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93263 |
| Event Date Year | 1983 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SHAFTER |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MIT |
| 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 | 425 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1930 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 110 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BFL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 490 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1900 |
| 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) | 823 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 21030 |
| 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 | LAX83LU005 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 103: Ultralight |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | WIZARD |
| Aircraft Model | W-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | W-1 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | N/A |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DONALD E.BLEDSOE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6409 SALLY AVENUE |
| Operator City | BAKERSFIELD |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 93308 |
| 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 | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1940 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| 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 | 34 |
| Runway Length | 2980 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |