Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hanalei, Hawaii 96741
Tuesady, May 17, 2011 10:43 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The sport pilot flight instructor was giving an introductory instructional flight in a light sport weight-shift-control aircraft. Review of video recorded by two video cameras attached to the aircraft indicated that the takeoff and departure were uneventful with no observed difficulties with the aircraft’s airframe, wing, or engine. About 30 minutes into the flight, the video documented the instructor maneuvering the aircraft in the vicinity of the accident site. The video documentation stopped about 15 seconds before the accident due to data buffering time. However, witnesses observed the aircraft low over the water flying directly toward a scallop-shaped sandy beach surrounded on three sides by high rocky cliffs. The pilot was observed to fly the aircraft within 50 to 100 feet of the cliffs in a steep-bank, 180-degree turn. The witnesses said that the aircraft's bank angle increased to nearly 90 degrees, and the aircraft began to descend rapidly in a side-slip. As the aircraft completed its turn about 200 feet above ground level, and with its nose pointed steeply downward, the pilot was observed to push aggressively forward on the flight controls, and a loud “pop” was heard. One witness observed the right wing's fabric go slack, and the aircraft performed a complete barrel roll to the right. Moments later the aircraft impacted the ocean.
Postaccident examination of the wreckage found numerous holes torn in the wing fabric and several repair patches were identified on the fabric. Testing with a Bettsometer fabric tester determined that the fabric had deteriorated due to exposure to sunlight and that its strength was below the manufacturer’s recommendations for flight. A manufacturer’s representative stated that the pilot had contacted him several weeks before the accident and ordered a new replacement wing, which indicates that the pilot was aware of the fabric’s deteriorated condition.
The maximum takeoff gross weight for the aircraft was 903 pounds. An estimate of the aircraft's weight at takeoff indicated that it was about 121 pounds overweight. This excess weight increased the load on the aircraft’s wing and likely contributed to the failure of the fabric.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's continued operation of the aircraft with deteriorated wing fabric and his aggressive maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in the right wing fabric’s failure during flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's loading of the aircraft in excess of the maximum gross weight limit.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/17/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1043 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | Hanalei |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96741 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 221001N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1593935W |
| 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 | 2053 Hawaii Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 125 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HLI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 98 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.13 |
| 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) | 30398 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA WP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 29 2012 3:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | snyg |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N705PM |
| NTSB Number | WPR11FA225 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | P&M AVIATION LTD |
| Aircraft Model | PEGASUS QUIK 912S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 8245 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 900 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 380 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Anna M. Gomez |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lihue |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96766 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Kauai Aerosports |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Lihue |
| Operator State | HI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 96766 |
| 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 | PAK |
| Departure City | Hanapepe |
| Departure State | HI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1010 |
| Departure Time Zone | HST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | PAK |
| Destination City | Hanapepe |
| Destination State | HI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 7 2012 4:22PM |
| 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 | -- |