What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 08,2010, at approximately 1930 local time privacy data omitted, a certificated light sport aircraft pilot, took off from Elkhart Municipal Airport (ekm) on a maiden flight of a kolb twin star mark iii experimental aircraft. According to witnesses the pilot was supposed to conduct the first test flight performing basic maneuvers to determine the aircrafts flight characteristics and response to the control inputs. The aircraft climbed to approximate pattern altitude with everything appearing to function normally. The controller said the pilot called to land and was cleared for the option. The controller stated he did not hear the pilot complain of any problems and assumed everything was normal.a video of the landing showed that everything was progressing normally until the pilot flared and the aircraft went into a porpoising motion. Evidence indicates that the pilot stalled the aircraft. The aircraft impacted the ground at a 45 degree angle.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 08,2010, AT APPROXIMATELY 1930 LOCAL TIME ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CERTIFICATED LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT PILOT, TOOK OFF FROM ELKHART MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (EKM) ON A MAIDEN FLIGHT OF A KOLB TWIN STAR MARK III EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE PILOT WAS SUPPOSED TO CONDUCT THE FIRST TEST FLIGHT PERFORMING BASIC MANEUVERS TO DETERMINE THE AIRCRAFTS FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS AND RESPONSE TO THE CONTROL INPUTS. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATE PATTERN ALTITUDE WITH EVERYTHING APPEARING TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE CONTROLLER SAID THE PILOT CALLED TO LAND AND WAS CLEARED FOR THE OPTION. THE CONTROLLER STATED HE DID NOT HEAR THE PILOT COMPLAIN OF ANY PROBLEMS AND ASSUMED EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL.A VIDEO OF THE LANDING SHOWED THAT EVERYTHING WAS PROGRESSING NORMALLY UNTIL THE PILOT FLARED AND THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO A PORPOISING MOTION. EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE PILOT STALLED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.