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EPILOGUE: DON PARTRIDGE

October 12, 1984     Sandy Harrison  Sierra Daily News  Bishop, California 
Mechanics, Weather Contributed to Crash
    A mechanical problem combined with very poor weather conditions and an unfortunate location contributed to the crash of a Mitchell Wing Ultralight Aircraft last month which killed Owens Valley hang gliding pioneer Don Partridge and another man, a federal investigator has concluded.
    "We found nothing structurally wrong with the aircraft," said Armand Edwards, an air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.
    "We did find that the throttle cable had become disconnected internally causing the engine to go idle.  It apparently became disconnected in flight," Edwards said.  That probably happened as witnesses heard the engine gun and then go idle, he said.
    In better weather conditions, Edwards said, Partridge, with his lengthy aviation experience would probably have been able to land the ultralight safely; but because of very poor visibility and a very low cloud cover, he was forced to fly lower and more slowly than was normal, the investigator said.
    Partridge was flying just above treetop level when the mechanical problem arose, and was unable to reach safety in a nearby field before striking the trees from above in a vertical motion, Edwards said.
    "That's primarily because he was flying slow and right over the trees," he added.
    "The throttle cable, the weather conditions, and his location near the trees were all contributing factors," Edwards said.
    Edwards said his final report will list facts contributing to the accident but will not be written in the form of conclusions, such as the pilot or mechanical error.  He'll submit the report to the NTSB in Washington by the end of this month, he said.     Partridge, a lifelong Bishop resident, was one of the first American hang glider pilots.  He is credited with drawing worldwide attention to the Owens Valley's attractiveness to the sport.