What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 16, 2013, about 1235 eastern daylight time, a Trick Trikes Storm Trooper weight-shift aircraft, N5157G, impacted terrain while maneuvering near a crowded sandy beach area along lake Michigan near Covert, Michigan. The pilot, registered as a student pilot, was seriously injured and the passenger received minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was privacy data omitted operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which departed without a flight plan from an unknown location.
According to witness statements, the aircraft made two or three low altitude passes over the north to south coastline beach area. Following these two passes and seconds before impact, video taken by one of the witnesses, showed the aircraft coming from the northwest direction in an apparent right hand turn. A photo taken by another witness showed the aircraft intact in a steep right bank attitude a few feet over the populated beach area. Impact with the ground immediately followed, damaging the structure of both wings, propeller, landing gear, and front section including the forward seat. No persons on the beach area reported any injuries.
Audio from the video evidence, witness accounts and examination of the propeller indicate that the engine was operating normally.
During an interview, the passenger stated that their intention was to land the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 16, 2013, ABOUT 1235 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A TRICK TRIKES STORM TROOPER WEIGHT-SHIFT AIRCRAFT, N5157G, IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR A CROWDED SANDY BEACH AREA ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN NEAR COVERT, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT, REGISTERED AS A STUDENT PILOT, WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN FROM AN UNKNOWN LOCATION.
ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS, THE AIRCRAFT MADE TWO OR THREE LOW ALTITUDE PASSES OVER THE NORTH TO SOUTH COASTLINE BEACH AREA. FOLLOWING THESE TWO PASSES AND SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT, VIDEO TAKEN BY ONE OF THE WITNESSES, SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT COMING FROM THE NORTHWEST DIRECTION IN AN APPARENT RIGHT HAND TURN. A PHOTO TAKEN BY ANOTHER WITNESS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT INTACT IN A STEEP RIGHT BANK ATTITUDE A FEW FEET OVER THE POPULATED BEACH AREA. IMPACT WITH THE GROUND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED, DAMAGING THE STRUCTURE OF BOTH WINGS, PROPELLER, LANDING GEAR, AND FRONT SECTION INCLUDING THE FORWARD SEAT. NO PERSONS ON THE BEACH AREA REPORTED ANY INJURIES.
AUDIO FROM THE VIDEO EVIDENCE, WITNESS ACCOUNTS AND EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER INDICATE THAT THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY.
DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE PASSENGER STATED THAT THEIR INTENTION WAS TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.