History of the Flight
On June 23, 2010, at approximately 1145 mountain daylight time, an Airborne Windsport Edge weight-shift aircraft, registration N55857, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain while performing aerobatic maneuvers near Fort Lupton, Colorado. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 local flight. The pilot had departed a private airstrip at an unknown time.
An eyewitness reported observing the weight-shift aircraft performing loops and wingovers for about five minutes. During the last maneuver, the witness saw the wing fold at approximately 1,000 feet above ground level, after which the aircraft spiraled down and struck the ground.
Pilot Information
A review of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) database did not show that the 86-year-old pilot possessed a pilot certificate. Additionally, no FAA medical records were found for the pilot.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a 2000 Airborne Windsport Edge, serial number 582-560. It was registered as an experimental weight-shift aircraft and was powered by a Rotax 582 two-stroke engine rated at 65 horsepower. Several requests for pilot and aircraft records were made to the pilot's family, but they did not respond.
Wreckage and Impact Examination
Postcrash examination of the aircraft at the accident scene revealed that the carriage wing attachment hang point was broken. The fracture was consistent with a failure not caused by impact with the ground. No other anomalies were found with the aircraft.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted by the Weld County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner on June 24, 2010, attributed the cause of death to multiple blunt force injuries. The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the pilot. The report detected Amlodipine, Atenolol, and Triamterene in liver and blood. Atenolol is a beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist used for hypertension and certain arrhythmias. Amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker used to treat hypertension. Triamterene is a potassium-sparing diuretic used to treat hypertension. The FAA Aviation Medical Examiner's Guide states that these medications are acceptable for the treatment of hypertension in airmen.
Additional Information
The aircraft's operating instructions prohibit all aerobatic maneuvers, including spinning. Flight load factor limits for the aircraft specify a maximum positive maneuvering load factor of 4.0 G. Load factors below 1.0 G are to be avoided, and negative load factors are prohibited.