ULTRALIGHT AMERICA SPITFIRE II
Camarillo, CA — October 6, 2017
Event Information
| Date | October 6, 2017 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA18CA002 |
| Event ID | 20171003X44053 |
| Location | Camarillo, CA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 34.21389, -119.08417 |
| Airport | CAMARILLO |
| Highest Injury | MINR |
Aircraft
| Make | ULTRALIGHT AMERICA |
| Model | SPITFIRE II |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 1 |
| None | 0 |
| Total Injured | 1 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot’s failure to track the runway centerline during an attempted go-around, which resulted in impact with a hangar.
Full Narrative
The pilot reported that, during a familiarization flight, he took off and "noticed a strong left turning tendency." He added that, he "kept the power at a higher, time restricted setting", which resulted in the coolant temperature rising above the 180° F maximum operating temperature.
Although there were no indications of performance degradation, he "became concerned" that he could lose engine power due to overheating, and decided to make a precautionary landing. During the landing, the airplane bounced, and he decided to go-around. Subsequently, the airplane struck a hangar roof approximately 75' to the left of the runway centerline and came to rest on the opposite side of the hangar.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.