Amateur-built RALLY 3 accident near Alta Vista, Virginia, April 13, 1985
On April 13, 1985 at about 6:30 pm local time, a amateur-built RALLY 3 (ultralight), registered N316SR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alta Vista, Virginia (Private Strip airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 13, 1985 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Alta Vista, Virginia · Private Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RALLY 3
- Registration
- N316SR · registry record · serial 25475
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
EACH TIME THE PILOT APPLIED NOSE UP PITCH CONTROL AFTER TAKE OFF, THE ACFT SETTLED BUT WOULD MAINTAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT WHEN THE CONTROLS WERE NEUTRALIZED. DUE TO THE SETTLING EFFECT, OBSTRUCTION CLEARANCE COULD NOT BE ATTAINEDAND THE ACFT SETTLED INTO TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS EJECTED WHEN THE STITCHING OF HIS LAP BELT FAILED. THE ACFT AS PREVIOUSLY FLOWN SUCCESSFULLY SEVERAL TIMES AFTER ASSEMBLY FROM THE MANUFACTURER'S KIT, BUT ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT A 150 LB SAND BAG WAS STRAPPED INTO THE RIGHT SEAT. WITH THE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT, THE SPOILER CABLES TIGHTENED AS THE WINGS PRODUCED LIFT, TO THE POINT THAT THEY INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED WITH APPLICATION OF AFT STICK.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,310 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 7,310 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 47 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from LYH, 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 N316SR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO85LA039.