History of Flight
On July 9, 2021, about 2051 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built North Wing Mustang 3 weight-shift-control trike, which was not registered, was substantially damaged in an accident near Millersburg, Oregon. The pilot, who did not hold a pilot certificate, and a passenger were fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to family members, the aircraft departed from the pilot's home airport in Albany, Oregon. After overflying the pilot's home, located about 4,000 ft north of the airport, the trike continued northeast for about 3.3 miles. It then turned left and flew close to the passenger's home before impacting the ground.
Several witnesses recorded the aircraft's maneuvers on mobile phones. The videos showed the aircraft banking left in an almost 90° turn, with the left wing dropping downward. The descent tightened, and the trike struck the ground in a left-wing-low attitude.
Personnel Information
The pilot owned the trike but did not hold a pilot certificate. His flight experience is unknown.
Aircraft Information
The experimental light-sport weight-shift-control aircraft featured tricycle landing gear and a braced fabric wing. The two-place tandem cockpit frame was constructed of welded steel with a fiberglass fairing. The wing was manufactured on December 8, 2015, and had a maximum gross weight of 1,060 pounds. Published limitations included a stall speed of 37 mph at gross weight, a maximum speed of 62 mph, and a never-exceed speed of 70 mph. The aircraft was not to exceed bank angles of 60° or pitch angles of 30°. The engine had accumulated 287 hours total time according to the tachometer.
According to the North Wing Mustang 3-15 Wing Manual: "No wing on the market is totally safe. It is entirely possible to push any aircraft beyond its tolerances and damage or even break a wing. Very strong weather conditions may also cause structural failure. Aerobatics maneuvers, pitch angles beyond 30 degrees up or down, bank angles exceeding 60 degrees, aggressive stalls, and spins are maneuvers that should never be attempted under any circumstance." The manual also cautioned: "The speed never to exceed for the MUSTANG 3-15 is 70 mph. The MUSTANG 3-15, even when flown in its lightest wing loading, can exceed [an] airspeed of 70 mph."
Wreckage and Impact Information
On-site examination found no evidence of mechanical anomalies in the flight controls, structure, or engine. Ground scars and wreckage orientation were consistent with a nose-low impact. No manufacturing anomalies were noted. The wooden propeller was shattered, with signatures consistent with engine power at impact. Separated wires from the nose were examined by the NTSB Materials Laboratory, which determined they fractured in overstress. The pilot's family reported that a postaccident engine examination revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure.
Additional Information
A video study estimated the aircraft's ground track, groundspeed, altitude, and roll angle. When the left turn was initiated, groundspeed was about 60 ± 3 mph (52 ± 3 knots), and altitude was 233 ± 10 ft above ground level. The left-wing-down roll angle increased to nearly 90° about 6 seconds after the turn began. The aircraft struck the ground about 9 seconds later. Engine speed was within normal range, and the roll angle was increasing rapidly.