Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Visalia, California 93277
Wednesday, September 7, 1983 8:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THIS ULTRALIGHT PLT, ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, EXPRESSED SOME ANXIETY ABOUT FLYING ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE INSTRUCTOR REVIEWED THE PROCEDURES WITH HER ON THE GROUND, BUT DID NOT FLY WITH HER. THE ACFT, PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, HAD LESS THAN 2 GALLONS OF FUEL. IT BURNS 2 GALS/HR. THIS FLT WAS SCHEDULED FOR 30 MINUTES. THE ACFT FLEW FOR ABOUT 15 MINS.AFTER TAKEOFF PRIOR TO RETURNING TO LAND. THE ACFT MADE SEVERAL APPROACHES ONLY TO GO-AROUND. THE INSTRUCTOR AND HIS PARTNER TOOKOFF IN A 2 PLACE VEHICLE TO TRY TO LEAD THE STUDENT IN, BUT BROKE OFF THEIR APPROACH BEFORE SHE LANDES. SHE GOT ABOUT 2 FT AGL, BUT WENT AROUND AGAIN WITHOUT EVER REDUCING THE POWER BELOW 75 PERCENT. ON THE NEXT BASE LEG THE ACFT PITCHED UP AND STALLED AFTER WHICH IT PITCHED NOSE DOWN AND CRASHED. AFTER CRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE PROPELLER WAS NOT ROTATING AT GROUND CONTACT AND THE ACFT AND ENGINE CONTAINED NO FUEL. THE ENGINE OPERATED AFTER REFUELING.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/7/1983 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 830 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | VISALIA |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93277 |
| Event Date Year | 1983 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 250 |
| Airport Elevation | 292 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | VIS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 292 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| 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) | 2789 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 23084 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:16AM |
| 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 | LAX83FU016 |
| 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 | EIPPER |
| Aircraft Model | MX |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | MX |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 5607 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 20 1983 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 6 |
| Airframe Hours | 6 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOHN AND MARY DITTNER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1927 MITCHELL |
| Aircraft Owner City | CLOVIS |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 745 |
| 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 | 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 | 25 |
| Runway Length | 1200 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |