Amateur-built BANSHEE accident near St. George, Utah, May 21, 1983
On May 21, 1983 at about 3:30 pm local time, a amateur-built BANSHEE (ultralight), registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near St. George, Utah (Abandoned Air Strip airport). 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
- May 21, 1983 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- St. George, Utah · Abandoned Air Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BANSHEE
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · ultralight rules (Part 103)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
REPORTEDLY, THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE WAS ASSEMBLED AT AN ABANDONED ARPT, THEN WAS TEST FLOWN BY AN INTERNATIONAL ULTRALIGHT COMPANY SALESMAN. THE NON-RATED PLT, WHO WAS PLANNING TO BUY THE ULTRALIGHT, THEN FLEW THE VEHICLE TO FAMILIARIZE HIMSELF WITH ITS FLT CHARACTERISTICS. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT AFTER FLYING A SHORT TIME, THE PLT STARTED AN APCH TO LAND. WHEN THE ULTRALIGHT WAS ABOUT 50 TO 60 FT AGL, A WING FOLDED & THE VEHICLE CRASHED & BURNED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A STRUCTURAL CABLE HAD FAILED AT A SWEDGE FITTING. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF NON-UNIFORM CRIMPING OF THE SWEDGE FITTING. TWO TYPES OF FRACTURES WERE FOUND WHERE THE CABLE FAILED (SHEAR & DUCTILE). THE SHEAR FAILURE WAS PREDOMINANTLY LOCATED AT THE SURFACE OF 1 BUNDLE OF WIRE STRANDS AT THE SWEDGE FITTING. THE DUCTILE FRACTURES WERE NOTED ON THE REMAINING INTERNAL STRANDS. THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK WAS INSTALLED ABOVE THE PLT. ON IMPACT, IT RUPTURED & SPILLED FUEL ON THE PLT & HOT ENG. THE PLT RECEIVED FATAL BURNS; ULTRALIGHT WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna UL 11-02 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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.