- Date
- August 6, 2014, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Three Rivers, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2552SPhantom Phantom X 1
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Flight Standards District Office
- Case key
- 89830
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 pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed while flying a visual pattern, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.
Findings · 3
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 pilot flew a visual traffic pattern to a grass runway utilized by a combination of light sport aircraft, powered parachutes, and radio controlled aircraft. While on downwind at 400 feet above ground level, the pilot noticed three ground vehicles parked in a lot often used by pilots when they flew radio controlled aircraft. As he searched for possible radio controlled aircraft, the pilot became distracted and allowed his airspeed to decrease, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. The pilot was unable to regain control and the airplane subsequently impacted a line of trees.
Factual narrative
The pilot flew a visual traffic pattern to a grass runway utilized by a combination of light sport aircraft, powered parachutes, and radio controlled aircraft. While on downwind at 400 feet above ground level, the pilot noticed three ground vehicles parked in a lot often used by pilots when they flew radio controlled aircraft. As he searched for possible radio controlled aircraft, the pilot became distracted and allowed his airspeed to decrease, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. The pilot was unable to regain control and the airplane subsequently impacted a line of trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2552S
- Reported as
- Phantom Phantom X 1 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 602
- Built
- 1984
- Airframe hours
- 17
- Engine
- Rotax 503 DCDI, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wilkins Peter E
- Registered owner
- Wilkins Peter E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 6, 2010
- Departed
- Plainwell, MI
- Destination
- HAI · Three Rivers, MI
- Airport
- HAI · Three Rivers Municipal, runway 9, 1,200 × 60 ft, grass/turf
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
- 71
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 386 total · 125 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KHAI
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 2, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB in all.