History of Flight
On September 21, 2022, about 1000 eastern daylight time, a Northwing Design WSC aircraft, registration N3283N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Southern Shores, North Carolina. The private pilot was fatally injured and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The passenger, the pilot's stepson, reported that after arriving at the airport he read the checklist while the pilot assembled the aircraft. The passenger then checked everything again. The flight departed between 0830 and 0900 from First Flight Airport, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, and flew north along the coast. After flying approximately 21 nautical miles north, the pilot twice orbited a house before proceeding south just offshore toward the departure airport.
During the flight, the pilot mentioned that they might encounter turbulence; about five minutes later, while flying about 400 yards offshore at 3,500 ft mean sea level at 55–60 mph, with a small patch of clouds below, the passenger felt something hit the plane, consistent with turbulence. After the turbulence encounter, he observed eight ribs protruding three to four inches beyond the aft end of the right wing. The right wing fabric appeared loose, and the right side of the wing looked much smaller than the left. He then felt an upward jar, and the aircraft went out of control, spiraling to the right. As it descended, the pilot attempted to regain control. Very close to the ocean, the passenger felt a force consistent with activation of the airframe parachute. After water impact, he struggled to release his restraint and remained in the water for about 30 minutes before being rescued. The passenger stated that the engine performed without interruption throughout the flight.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and rotorcraft-helicopter. He held a second-class medical certificate issued March 16, 2022, with a limitation requiring glasses for near vision. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records included Form 8710-11, Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application – Sport Pilot, dated August 20, 2022, which indicated total time and instruction in weight-shift control (WSC) aircraft of 22.9 hours, with 5 hours solo and as pilot-in-command in WSC aircraft. The form was returned to the instructor for correction; a corrected version was not received. A logbook entry on August 20, 2022, showed a flight of 1.1 hours with the remark “proficiency – transition to WSC.” Between that date and September 16, 2022, the pilot logged an additional 3.8 hours in the accident aircraft.
Aircraft Information
Maintenance records showed that a new Northwing GT5 13.5m wing was installed on the aircraft in November 2016. No repairs to the wing were recorded after installation, aside from removal for other maintenance. The wing was a strutted type; the wing sail contained rib pockets for 12 removable aluminum lower ribs and 24 removable aluminum top ribs (or 6 lower and 12 top per side). Lower ribs in the forward section were straight and held by pockets; top ribs providing camber in the aft section were secured by string or a flip tip at the trailing edge. According to the Wing Manual, the sail was retained to the wing structure at the leading edge tip by a sail strap over the trim tip cap, fitted into a slot or groove. The aircraft manufacturer stated that the only way for the sail to move inboard along the leading edge tube would be if the sail strap was not properly installed over the tip cap.
The aircraft carried a portable GPS receiver, a cellular phone, and an iPad. The GPS track log record mode was off; two logged flights existed for the accident date, the last lasting 0.4 hour over about 24 miles. The cellular phone and iPad were damaged, preventing data recovery. The pilot’s stepson reported that the pilot flew the aircraft for about three hours the day before the accident without any issues.
Meteorological Information
Review of available weather data for the accident day did not indicate conditions conducive to turbulence. No cumulus clouds were visible on satellite images or in the dataset around the accident time.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The main wreckage—comprising the lower root tube with attached engine assembly, propeller with fractured blades, and fuel tank—washed ashore south of the accident site and was first spotted on October 5, 2022. No wing structural components were recovered at that time. The wing was recovered later. Inspection by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed that the outer portion of the right side sail had moved inboard along the leading edge tube and bunched up at the strut attachment juncture. No evidence of structural failure of the outer right wing was observed, but the reason for the sail movement could not be determined, and the condition of the lower or upper ribs on the right side was not reported. The propeller blades were all fractured at varying lengths. The engine was not examined because the passenger reported no discrepancies during the flight.
Medical and Pathological Information
An external examination of the pilot conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Raleigh, North Carolina, determined the probable cause of death as blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing by the FAA’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory found no evidence of impairing drugs.