NTSB Factual Report

On April 15, 2018 at 0620 mountain standard time, an Airborne Windsports Edge XT-912-L aircraft, N107PW, experienced a loss of control and impacted terrain on approach to Pleasant Valley Airport, Peoria, Arizona. The sport pilot sustained minor injuries; the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The special light sport weight-shift aircraft was privately owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed. The local personal flight originated from Peoria about 0545.

The pilot stated that his friend, who was a student pilot, recently purchased the aircraft. A few days before the accident, after the aircraft had undergone an annual inspection, the mechanic who performed the maintenance test flew the aircraft and stated it operated normally. Shortly thereafter, the pilot took the aircraft for a local flight where he stayed around the airport to perform several touch-and-go practice takeoff and landings. He noted during that flight that the aircraft's handling characteristics were different than other weight-shift aircraft (trikes) he had flown. The aircraft did not track in turns as well (not as responsive). He spoke to the mechanic after his flight quarrying him if it was normal for the aircraft to maneuver in such a meandering way, to which he responded that was the nature of the Airborne Windsports.

On the day of the accident, the pilot decided to go flying that morning because the wind was light (about 3 kts). The airplane had not been flown since they had taken it out on the previous flight and during the preflight inspection they noted about 6.5 gallons remained and they did not change anything with the configuration. During his takeoff from runway 05R he felt that the aircraft's role tendency was more pronounced. When he reached traffic pattern altitude of 2,000 feet he recalled that the aircraft seemed to be less stable. He could not determine if it was because of wind or just his newness to the aircraft. He entered a right traffic pattern and performed a low pass over the runway at about 15 feet agl. He again climbed to pattern altitude and after leveling off, noticed that the role tendency had become even worse. He entered left traffic pattern and while on downwind decided that he needed to land and get on the ground because the controllability had reduced.

As the pilot turned the aircraft on final approach, the stability further decreased, and he pulled the bar back continuing in a shallow descent. He reduced the engine power while maintaining an airspeed of about 40 kts (indicated). He kept the bar inward and was at a slight crab angle, when the aircraft began to roll to the right. He recalled that it felt as if the aircraft had stalled but the airspeed was too high. He performed a j-movement with the bar in an effort to regain control to roll to the left. This had no effect and the role became worse. He added full power and pulled back on the bar, maneuvering it in the direction toward the turn in another attempt to arrest the roll. At about 250 feet agl, the aircraft began a descending, spiraling turn to the right. As he neared the surface, the role began to correct, but the right wing impacted the ground. Upon impact the engine was still running with full power and two witnesses ran toward the pilot, who was still in the cockpit.

The two witnesses and the pilot could not figure out how to turn the engine off (the front cockpit panel area had separated from the aircraft). One of the witnesses thought that the parachute handle was an emergency fuel cut off and activated the parachute, which discharged and released immediately. The engine eventually quit from fuel exhaustion. The pilot sustained minor injuries as a result of the impact.