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Chula Vista, CA
Operator/company personnel had been flying the Calypso ultralight for about 2 hrs when the marketing director was approached by a pilot who wanted to fly the vehicle. They noted that the pilot had been teaching students in an Eipper ultralight. Company personnel agreed to let him fly the traffic pattern on the condition that he would practice 3 crow hops first. The pilot started the Calypso, but took off without practicing crow hops. He made 2 passes to the runway. On the 3rd crosswind to downwind turn at about 200 ft AGL, he commenced a 360-degree turn, then went into a spin and crashed. According to a witness, the pilot applied full left stick and full right rudder while personnel on the ground were yelling for him to kick in left rudder. The witness noted that the pilot had previously been flying a 2-axis controlled ultralight (Eipper), but the Calypso was a 3-axis controlled vehicle. He thought the pilot got his hand and foot controls mixed up.
OPERATOR/COMPANY PERSONNEL HAD BEEN FLYING THE CALYPO ULTRALIGHT FOR ABOUT 2 HRS WHEN THE MARKETING DIRECTOR WAS APPROACHED BY A PLT WHO WANTED TO FLY THE VEHICLE. THEY NOTED THAT THE PLT HAD BEEN TEACHING STUDENTS IN AN EIPPER ULTRALIGHT. COMPANY PERSONNEL AGREED TO LET HIM FLY THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ON THE CONDITION THAT HE WOULD PRACTICE 3 CROW HOPS 1ST. THE PLT STARTED THE CALYPSO, BUT TOOK OFF WITHOUT PRACTICING CROW HOPS. HE MADE 2 PASSES TO THE RWY. ON THE 3RD X-WIND TO DOWNWIND TURN AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL, HE COMMENCED A 360-DEGREE TURN, THEN WENT INTO A SPIN & CRASHED.ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE PLT APPLIED FULL LEFT STICK & FULL RIGHT RUDDER WHILE PERSONNEL ON THE GROUND WERE YELLING FOR HIM TO KICK IN LEFT RUDDER. THE WINTESS NOTED THAT THE PLT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN FLYING A 2 AXIS CONTROLLED ULTRALIGHT (EIPPER), BUT THE CALYPSO WAS A 3-AXIS CONTROLLED VEHICLE. HE THOUGHT THE PLT GOT HIS HAND & FOOT CONTROLS MIXED UP.