[JYO] Bealeton pilot is killed in ultralight crash
- From: FlyboyEd <flyboyed@xxxxxxx>
- To: "jyo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <jyo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 00:33:47 -0400
Bealeton pilot is killed in ultralight crash
What should have been a lovely flight to look
at the changing autumn leaves from above the tree line turned to
tragedy.
Richard
Allen Pendergist, 59, of Bealeton and his friend Michael Alfred Moulds,
58, of Leesburg Falls died in Louisa County after Pendergist's Rans S12
ultralight plane crashed around 4:30 p.m.
The pair were members
of the United States Ultralight Association based in Frederick, Md.
Pendergist was the association's executive vice-president and Moulds
was the former treasurer.
They were reported to be out for a flight to catch the fall color in
the Blue Ridge Mountains.
According
to the Virginia State Police, the two-seater plane was traveling with
two other ultralights and had radioed in that it was having engine
problems just prior to the accident.
Ultralights are not
licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration, so crashes involving
the planes do not come under the FAA jurisdiction, or the National
Transportation Safety Board, However, the state police asked an
investigator to come out to inspect the crash anyway.
"The FAA
said the prop appears to have sheared off prior to the accident," said
Sgt. Dave Chewning, public information officer for Division I. "A
witness driving on Route 522 reported to us that the plane went nose
up, then crashed straight down."
Chewning added, "The FAA guy
said that because the planes are so light, even if they lost a prop
they should have been able to glide in, but I guess not if they came
straight down."
According to Chewning, the planes were heading
for a private air strip called Eagle's Nest, near Holly Springs, to
refuel when the third plane was reported missing.
Pendergist is
a former contractor for the FAA and has been a registered ultralight
pilot since November 1998. He earned his private pilot wings in 2002.
"I
didn't really know him that well," said Bealeton Flying Circus pilot
John D. King. "He seemed like a very nice guy and very knowledgeable.
He would call up and ask if he could bring out a bunch of ultralight
club members to the circus. It really is a tragedy."
A different breed
Ultralights
are favored by some pilots because they are easier to maintain. Only a
minimum amount of training is required and no FAA license or medical
check is required to fly an ultralight.
However, a two-seat ultralight has to be registered with the FAA as an
"amateur-built or experimental."
The
ultralight planes are inexpensive, costing about $4,000 to $9,000. They
usually weigh about 450-500 pounds and have the ability to fly very low
and slow. Many pilots like the back-to-basics, "stick-and-rudder"
flying.
Ultralights do have some restrictions. They can only be operated during
the day and can only be used for sport or recreation.
Pilots
cannot use them in restricted areas or must get prior approval in
advance to enter restricted airspace. They must yield right away to
other aircraft. The planes carry a maximum of five gallons worth of
fuel.
The number of hours required for ultralight instruction,
about 10-20 hours, is considerably less than is needed to obtain a
private pilot's license.
Courtesy
Fauquier Times - Democrat
©Times Community Newspapers 2003
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- » [JYO] Bealeton pilot is killed in ultralight crash
The pair were members of the United States Ultralight Association based in Frederick, Md. Pendergist was the association's executive vice-president and Moulds was the former treasurer.
They were reported to be out for a flight to catch the fall color in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
According to the Virginia State Police, the two-seater plane was traveling with two other ultralights and had radioed in that it was having engine problems just prior to the accident.
Ultralights are not licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration, so crashes involving the planes do not come under the FAA jurisdiction, or the National Transportation Safety Board, However, the state police asked an investigator to come out to inspect the crash anyway.
"The FAA said the prop appears to have sheared off prior to the accident," said Sgt. Dave Chewning, public information officer for Division I. "A witness driving on Route 522 reported to us that the plane went nose up, then crashed straight down."
Chewning added, "The FAA guy said that because the planes are so light, even if they lost a prop they should have been able to glide in, but I guess not if they came straight down."
According to Chewning, the planes were heading for a private air strip called Eagle's Nest, near Holly Springs, to refuel when the third plane was reported missing.
Pendergist is a former contractor for the FAA and has been a registered ultralight pilot since November 1998. He earned his private pilot wings in 2002.
"I didn't really know him that well," said Bealeton Flying Circus pilot John D. King. "He seemed like a very nice guy and very knowledgeable. He would call up and ask if he could bring out a bunch of ultralight club members to the circus. It really is a tragedy."
A different breed
Ultralights are favored by some pilots because they are easier to maintain. Only a minimum amount of training is required and no FAA license or medical check is required to fly an ultralight.
However, a two-seat ultralight has to be registered with the FAA as an "amateur-built or experimental."
The ultralight planes are inexpensive, costing about $4,000 to $9,000. They usually weigh about 450-500 pounds and have the ability to fly very low and slow. Many pilots like the back-to-basics, "stick-and-rudder" flying.
Ultralights do have some restrictions. They can only be operated during the day and can only be used for sport or recreation.
Pilots cannot use them in restricted areas or must get prior approval in advance to enter restricted airspace. They must yield right away to other aircraft. The planes carry a maximum of five gallons worth of fuel.
The number of hours required for ultralight instruction, about 10-20 hours, is considerably less than is needed to obtain a private pilot's license.