North Wing Pulse accident near Mountain Home, ID
On June 2, 2018, a North Wing Pulse was involved in an accident near Mountain Home, ID. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 2, 2018
- Place
- Mountain Home, ID
- Aircraft
- North Wing Pulse · WSFT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 43.042°N, 115.872°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180602X62747
Official records · WPR18LA163
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 2, 2018, about 1338 mountain daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built North Wing Pulse 10M hang glider, N62073, collided with the ground while participating in an airshow at Mountain Home Air Force Base (KMUO), Mountain Home, Idaho. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries and the hang glider sustained substantial damage. The hang glider was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which departed KMUO about 1332. The premise of the pilot's airshow routine was a comedy act in which he would simulate inadvertently flying the hang glider into an active airshow, interrupting another airplane that was performing an aerobatic routine. The plan was for the hang glider, which was equipped with smoke canisters and a series of trailing streamers, to be towed past show center while the aerobatic airplane made a series of close passes, eventually cutting the streamers. Throughout the routine, the rehearsed radio interactions between the hang glider pilot, aerobatic pilot, and the show announcer were transmitted over the public address system. During a typical airshow, the hang glider was launched by a moving tow-launch system composed of a winch trailer pulled by a truck. The truck and trailer then travelled back and forth down the runway spinning out the tow line while the winch operator maintained line tension as the hang glider climbed to the desired altitude (usually 1,500 ft). The pilot typically
Probable cause
The hang glider's encounter with a developing vortex or dust devil while maneuvering during an airshow routine, which resulted in a loss of control at an altitude that precluded recovery. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's preexisting and worsening arthritis in his left shoulder, which inhibited his range of motion and resulted in a reduced ability to control and recover the hang glider
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Browse: Idaho
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
