- Date
- August 31, 2012, 08:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pittsford, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N995LSFlight Design Ctls
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA - East Michigan FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120831021039A
- Case key
- 84920
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while maneuvering at a low altitude.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The 15-hour student pilot was making a low pass over a relative’s private airstrip when the accident occurred. The student stated that on the first low pass he used 15-degrees of flaps. He stated that he used 30-degrees of flaps during the second low pass and the airplane “pitched” to the left when he added power to go around. He was unable to correct the loss of directional control, and the airplane’s left wing contacted trees and separated from the airplane before it impacted the ground. The closest weather reporting station located 7 miles northwest of the accident site reported the wind was from the southwest at 7 knots and the landing was being made to the south. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The 15-hour student pilot was making a low pass over a relative’s private airstrip when the accident occurred. The student stated that on the first low pass he used 15-degrees of flaps. He stated he used 30-degrees of flaps during the second low pass and the airplane “pitched” to the left when he added power to go-around. He was unable to correct the loss of directional control and the left wing contacted trees alongside the airstrip prior to the airplane impacting the ground. The closest weather reporting station located 7 miles northwest of the accident site reported the winds were from the southwest at 7 knots and the landing was being made to the south. Approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes after the accident, the winds were from the west at 10 knots gusting to 14 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N995LS
- Reported as
- Flight Design Ctls
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F-10-07-12
- Airframe hours
- 414
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hillsdale Aero Inc
- Registered owner
- Hillsdale Aero Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 13, 2012 · 58 hours before
- Departed
- KJYM · Hillsdale, MI
- Destination
- KJYM · Hillsdale, MI
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15 total · 15 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- JYM, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 674 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.