Ultralight Flight, Inc. PHANTOM accident near South Boston, Virginia, August 14, 1984
On August 14, 1984 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Ultralight Flight, Inc. PHANTOM, registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near South Boston, Virginia (William M. Tuck airport). It was a personal flight under ultralight rules (Part 103). 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- August 14, 1984 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- South Boston, Virginia · William M. Tuck · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ultralight Flight, Inc. PHANTOM
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 381
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · ultralight rules (Part 103)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT ARRIVED AT THE ARPT ABOUT 1530 FOR A DEMO FLT & POSSIBLE PURCHASE OF A PHANTOM ULTRALIGHT. THE FBO HAD THE PLT FLY A C-152 FROM THE RIGHT SEAT TO FAMILIARIZE THE PLT TO FLY WITH THE CONTROL STICK ON THE RIGHT & THE THROTTLE ON THE LEFT SINCE THIS IS THE WAY THE PHANTOM IS CONFIGURED. FOUR TAKEOFFS & LANDINGS WERE PERFORMED DURING THE 30 MIN FLT. THE PLT THEN TOOK OFF IN THE PHANTOM & FLEW 10-15 MIN IN THE LOCAL AREA BEFORE RE-ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. ON SHORT FINAL, 20-50 FT AGL, THE ULTRALIGHT WAS OBSERVED TO PORPOISE SLIGHTLY A FEW TIMES. IT THEN DOVE NOSE DOWN AT A 30-45 DEG ANGLE ONTO THE GRASS RWY. THE PLT LATER STATED HE WAS EXECUTING A GO-AROUND & HIS NATURAL REFLEX ACTION WAS TOADVANCE THE THROTTLE WITH HIS RIGHT HAND.
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
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 240 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 510 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Kawasaki TA440A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 3,000 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
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.