Pilot dies when aircraft crashes near Boulder City
One man was killed Thursday after crashing his one-person, homemade aircraft into a dry lake bed near Boulder City, 35 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said his office received a report at 7:50 a.m. that an ultra-light aircraft had crashed under unknown circumstances in a dry lake bed near El Dorado Valley.
The Clark County coroner's office did not identify the pilot Thursday afternoon.
Witnesses told police on scene that the pilot attempted a turn about 50 feet above the ground before going into a nosedive, Boulder City police said.
The victim was described as between 45 and 50 years old. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gregor said the FAA will not investigate the incident because a license isn't needed to operate an ultralight aircraft.
"True ultralights have to meet certain criteria," he said. "It has to weigh less than 254 pounds completely empty, have a maximum air speed of 55 knots and a maximum fuel capacity of five gallons."
He added that ultralight air crafts have restricted operating hours between dawn and dusk and may not be flown over populated areas.
