What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 08, 2016, at approximately 12:00 eastern standard time (1700Z), an unregistered Minimax 1200Z aircraft impacted wooded area shortly after takeoff from Batesville airport (hlb), Batesville, Indiana. The impact site was near departure end of runway 36. The privacy data omittedoperator on board, who holds a commercial pilots certificate, was operating the aircraft on a personal flight under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The pilot suffered severe injuries from the impact. The aircraft was destroyed by impact. No flight plan was filed or required. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Witnesses at the airport stated they saw two people assemble the wings to the aircraft thirty minutes prior to the accident. The maintenance supervisor at hlb, witness to the event, advised the pilot to accomplish a couple of high-speed taxi checks prior to actual takeoff to ensure engine and flight controls were operating properly. The supervisor also said that on the second taxi, the aircraft took off. The witness said that during the take-off climb the aircraft turned left and then descended into the woods east of the airport.
The pilot stated that the elevator felt loose in the left turn. He then lost control of the aircraft while in the turn. He stated that this was the first flight for the aircraft since assembly. He was also unaware of the requirement to register the aircraft. He stated that he was operating an ultralight vehicle.
Because emergency crews severed the control cables with the exception of the right wing, continuity of the cables is not completely determined. There was fuel remaining in the intact tank with the other tank separated from the aircraft. The inline fuel filter contained fuel. There were no mechanical findings.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 08, 2016, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 EASTERN STANDARD TIME (1700Z), AN UNREGISTERED MINIMAX 1200Z AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WOODED AREA SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM BATESVILLE AIRPORT (HLB), BATESVILLE, INDIANA. THE IMPACT SITE WAS NEAR DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 36. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OPERATOR ON BOARD, WHO HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PILOTS CERTIFICATE, WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE PILOT SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES FROM THE IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED OR REQUIRED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
WITNESSES AT THE AIRPORT STATED THEY SAW TWO PEOPLE ASSEMBLE THE WINGS TO THE AIRCRAFT THIRTY MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR AT HLB, WITNESS TO THE EVENT, ADVISED THE PILOT TO ACCOMPLISH A COUPLE OF HIGH-SPEED TAXI CHECKS PRIOR TO ACTUAL TAKEOFF TO ENSURE ENGINE AND FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE OPERATING PROPERLY. THE SUPERVISOR ALSO SAID THAT ON THE SECOND TAXI, THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF. THE WITNESS SAID THAT DURING THE TAKE-OFF CLIMB THE AIRCRAFT TURNED LEFT AND THEN DESCENDED INTO THE WOODS EAST OF THE AIRPORT.
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ELEVATOR FELT LOOSE IN THE LEFT TURN. HE THEN LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE IN THE TURN. HE STATED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOR THE AIRCRAFT SINCE ASSEMBLY. HE WAS ALSO UNAWARE OF THE REQUIREMENT TO REGISTER THE AIRCRAFT. HE STATED THAT HE WAS OPERATING AN ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE.
BECAUSE EMERGENCY CREWS SEVERED THE CONTROL CABLES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RIGHT WING, CONTINUITY OF THE CABLES IS NOT COMPLETELY DETERMINED. THERE WAS FUEL REMAINING IN THE INTACT TANK WITH THE OTHER TANK SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE INLINE FUEL FILTER CONTAINED FUEL. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL FINDINGS.