Pterodactyl ASCENDER II accident near Sumner, Washington, June 28, 1983
On June 28, 1983 at about 3:30 am local time, a Pterodactyl ASCENDER II (ultralight), registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near Sumner, Washington. 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
- June 28, 1983 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Sumner, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pterodactyl ASCENDER II ASCENDER I
- 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, A FATHER & HIS 14 YR OLD SON HAD BEEN RECEIVING GROUND & TAXI INSTRUCTION, AND HAD RECEIVED 'CROW-HOP' PRACTICE IN THE PREVIOUS FEW WEEKS. ON 6/27/83, THE VEHICLE BECAME AIRBORNE WITH THE SON ON BOARD. HE FLEW IT IN A PATTERN AROUND THE OPEN FIELD THAT WAS BEING USED BY ULTRALIGHT PLTS. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO LAND BY APPROACHING OVER TREES FROM SOUTH TO NORTH, BUT OVERSHOT THE 500 FT LANDING AREA. DURING A GO-AROUND, HE STRUCK GROUND VEHICLES IN A PARKING LOT AT THE NORTH END OF THE FIELD, BUT CONTINUED TO FLY. ON THE 2ND APPROACH, THE ULTRALIGHT CAME OVER TREES AT THE SOUTH END & EXECUTED A SERIES OF STAIR-STEP MANEUVERS ON THE APPROACH. AT APRX 60 FT AGL, THE VEHICLE NOSED OVER & STRUCK THE GROUND IN A STEEP DESCENT. NO PREIMPACT/MECHANICAL FAILURES WERE FOUND. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE FLT WAS INTENTIONAL.
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 sea
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna 430-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°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.