Albuquerque, NM, USA
N5982V
AEROS LTD AEROS 2
The pilot said that he and his pilot-rated passenger were flying the ultralight airplane through some canyons when they encountered a "downdraft" or mountain "rotor." Despite applying full power and placing the wing in a climb attitude, the airplane continued to descend, and it impacted trees.
On August 8, 2015, at 0908 mountain daylight time, an Aeros-2, N5982V, a weight-shift ultralight aircraft, encountered a mountain rotor wind and crashed.20 miles northwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were seriously injured. The ultralight aircraft was substantially damaged. The ultralight aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from Double Eagle II Airport, Albuquerque, New Mexico, at 0727.The pilot told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that he and his pilot-rated passenger had been flying near a ridgeline when they encountered a "mountain rotor wind." Control was lost and the ultralight aircraft impacted terrain. In his written statement to FAA, the pilot stated that he and his pilot-rated passenger flew through some canyons before landing on a dirt road to enjoy the views and scenery. After about 30 minutes, they took off and flew back through the canyons. The pilot stated he encountered what he thought was a downdraft or mountain rotor. Full power and a climb attitude failed to arrest the descent and the ultralight aircraft collided with trees.
The ultralight airplane’s encounter with a downdraft in mountainous terrain, which resulted in a descent into trees.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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