Amateur-built ASCENDER II accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia, January 8, 1984
On January 8, 1984 at about 8:10 pm local time, a amateur-built ASCENDER II (ultralight), registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia. It was a personal flight under ultralight rules (Part 103). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 1984 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ASCENDER II ASCENDER I
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 1210
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · ultralight rules (Part 103)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT TOOK OFF IN CONDITIONS OF TURBULENCE & GUSTY WINDS. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE PITCHED & ROLLED ERRATICALLY AFTER LIFT-OFF. THE PLT THEN MADE A RIGHT CLIMBING TURN TO A DOWNWIND HEADING & PROCEEDED OVER A TALL TREE LINE TOWARD A FIELD WHERE HE ULTIMATELY CRASHED. ONE WITNESS HEARD A 'POP', THEN LOOKED & SAW THE ACFT DESCENDING WITH THE WINGS FOLDED. OTHERS SAID THE WINGS FLEXED UPWARD 1ST, THEN THE ACFT FLIPPED OVER & THE WINGS REVERSED & FOLDED AROUND THE AIRFRAME. AN EXAM REVEALED UPWARD DEFORMATION OF THE CARARD, BUT IT HAD NO SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE OF GROUND IMPACT. THE WINGS HAD EVIDENCE OF BOTH UPWARD & DOWNWARD BENDING. THE KINGPOST WAS BENT REARWARD & ITS TOP CAP WAS FOUND 175 FT FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. NO AIRSPEED INDICATOR WAS INSTALLED. THE MANUFACTURER REPORTED THAT AN AIRSPEED INDICATOR WAS REQUIRED TO JUDGE THE SPEED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THAT THE MAX SPEED (VNE) WAS EASILY EXCEEDED & THAT THE FLIGHT CONTROLS BECAME EXTREMELY SENSITIVE AT HIGHER AIRSPEEDS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 4 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 465 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna 430D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Snellville GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from PDK, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.