Pilot Debrief

AIRBORNE WINDSPORTS PTY LTD XT-912-L near Lihue, HI — 2009-08-02

Final reportWPR09LA386
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Date
2009-08-02
Location
Lihue, HI, USA
Aircraft
AIRBORNE WINDSPORTS PTY LTD XT-912-L
Registration
N44VZ
Category
Trike
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

The flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the airplane following an in-flight encounter with turbulence during descent.

NTSB narrative

The pilot of the light sport weight-shift-control airplane said that they were descending through a "hole in the clouds" when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence, resulting in the flight instructor losing control of the aircraft. The flight instructor subsequently deployed the aircraft's onboard rocket-propelled parachute system before impacting mountainous terrain and coming to rest on a hillside, entangled in surrounding trees. The flight instructor reported no anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Controlled flight into terrain
First missed decision gate
Instructor should not have attempted to descend through the cloud hole.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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