Friday, May 31, 2019

TopDog Ultralight trike, personal flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91: Fatal accident occurred May 11, 2019 near Hobby Field Airport (77S), Creswell, Lane County, Oregon

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Location: Creswell, OR
Accident Number: WPR19FA143
Date & Time: 05/11/2019, 2030 PDT
Registration: None
Aircraft: Top Dog Top -  Dog Ultralight
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

On May 11, 2019, at 2030 Pacific daylight time, an unregistered light-sport aircraft (LSA) experimental weight-shift-control TopDog Ultralights trike, collided with a tree while maneuvering near the Hobby Field Airport, Creswell, Oregon. The non-certified pilot was operating the personal flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot sustained fatal injuries; the trike sustained substantial damage. The local flight departed at 2028. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.

An acquaintance of the pilot was at the airport, adjacent to the taxiway, recording the flight on his cellular phone. A review of the video disclosed that the pilot departed on runway 34 at 2028:20. After departure, the trike made a right turn and briefly continued south until making another right turn. The trike crossed west over the runway about midfield and then made a left turn to fly south over the hangars (refer to picture 01). The trike began to descend and the acquaintance lost visual contact as it disappeared below the hangar roof line. The acquaintance ran to reposition further west on the airport by the pilot's hangar. The video again showed the trike at 2030:36. The trike began a left turn which became steeper where the entirety of the upper wing surface could be seen. The trike briefly disappeared behind a tree and then at 2030:41 an orange shape can be seen low in the trees, consistent with the color of the lower wing.

Picture 01: Accident Site in Reference to the Estimated Flight Path

A witness, located at a residence 825 ft south of the accident site (refer to picture 02), stated that he observed the trike maneuvering very low to the west of his location. He recalled that the trike continued south and then made a left turn. The trike impacted a tree and the wing folded over upon itself.


Picture 02: Accident Site in Reference to the Witness 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Top Dog
Registration: None
Model/Series: TopDog Ultralight
Aircraft Category: Weight-Shift
Amateur Built: Yes
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Dusk
Observation Facility, Elevation: KEUG, 373 ft msl
Observation Time: 2050 PDT
Distance from Accident Site: 15 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 15°C / 9°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 7 knots / , 230°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.93 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Creswell, OR (77S)
Destination: Creswell, OR (77S) 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 43.929444, -123.006389 (est)

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email 

assistance@ntsb.gov. 

Gillean James “Jim” McCown, 51, of Oakridge, Oregon died May 11th, 2019. Arrangements by Musgrove’s at Springfield Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home in Springfield, Oregon.



CRESWELL, Oregon - Authorities have identified the man killed Saturday when his weight-shift-control trike crashed into a tree as a a 51-year-old Eugene man.

The Lane County Sheriff's Office said the man has been identified as Gillean James McCown. His family has been notified of his death.

Creswell Airport Manager Shelley Humble said McCown took off Saturday night and was found crashed on private property just a few miles away.

Witnesses said hey were driving down Interstate 5 when they saw the trike flying low before it crashed into a tree.

“Started to cut the seat belt off of him, get the plane off of him, because the guy was kind of folded in half, and we had to get his airway open and get him in a better position to do CPR,” said witness Jessica Aman.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://kval.com

A witness to a deadly plane crash in Creswell is speaking out and said he saw the weight-shift-control trike go down, and tried to save the pilot's life.

Steve Aman said he, his family and friends were heading south on I-5 around 8:30 p.m. Saturday night when he said he saw the trike go down.

Officials did confirm no other passengers were on the weight-shift-control trike.

Aman said he immediately called 911, and drove to find the crashed trike, and the pilot inside. He described the pilot as a man.

He said the trike was on a private residential pasture. He said he and his wife ran over to the trike and said the engine was lying heavy on the man.

Aman said he took out a knife and tried to cut him out of the trike and even tried CPR. He said the man seemed unresponsive.

"I think it's hard on us in one aspect like you can't get some of the visuals out of your head like I don't think that will ever go away, but the hardest park for me is knowing one of the kids saw the crash and, you know, he was upset about it, and just the fact that obviously the guy who passed away has family out there...I don't know if he has kids or parents or whatever that's what you think about," he said.

Aman said he stayed on the phone with dispatchers as he helped the man, and said when paramedics arrived, they thanked him for trying to save the man's life.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.kezi.com

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