Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Captain Cook, Hawaii 96704
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 9:36 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight was an introductory flight lesson in a weight-shift-controlled aircraft. Witnesses reported that they observed the aircraft maneuver over the ocean and approach a 450-foot cliff at a 45-degree angle. As the aircraft came close to the cliff, it banked steeply away and rolled inverted. Witnesses reported hearing a loud “pop” and the wings folded around the fuselage (pod). The aircraft descended in a spiraling corkscrew-like manner before impacting the water. The aircraft immediately sank and was never recovered. The pilot likely exceeded the manufacturer’s operating limitations for the aircraft, which specifies a maximum pitch limit of 45 degrees and a maximum bank angle of 60 degrees. Positive flight load factors are limited to 4G and negative loads are prohibited; flight loads between positive 1G and 0G should be avoided. The pilot’s operating handbook cautioned that negative G maneuvers can never be conducted safely and stated that these maneuvers put the aircraft outside of the pilot’s control.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s intentional in-flight maneuvers that exceeded the structural limits of the aircraft, which resulted in structural failure of the wings.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/21/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 936 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | Captain Cook |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96704 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 192854N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1555548W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Hawaii Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 340 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KOA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 47 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | HST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.09 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29071 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 17 2011 2:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N34TH |
| NTSB Number | WPR10FA211 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AirBorne WindSport |
| Aircraft Model | Edge XT-912-L |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | XT-912-0335 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 992 |
| Aircraft Category | -- |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 9 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 100 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Tedd R. Hecklin |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Kailua Kona |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96745 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Tedd R. Hecklin |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Kailua Kona |
| Operator State | HI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 96745 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KOA |
| Departure City | Kailua Kona |
| Departure State | HI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 916 |
| Departure Time Zone | HST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KOA |
| Destination City | Kailua Kona |
| Destination State | HI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 17 2011 2:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |