- Date
- May 5, 2020, 12:35 local (17:35 UTC)
- Place
- Little Falls, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7013WM-Squared Sport 1000
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200505003999A
- Case key
- 101270
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 uncertificated pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
Findings · 2
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 uncertificated pilot stated that he replaced the wing and control surface skins of the airplane and planned to perform a test flight. He said that shortly after adding power, the airplane "jumped up" 15 ft off the ground and drifted away from the runway centerline. The pilot applied corrective control inputs to return the airplane back to runway centerline and then applied full engine power to initiate a go-around. About 100 ft agl, the airplane banked hard to the left. The pilot applied right aileron control input but was unable to reduce the bank. The airplane descended and impacted the ground about 200 yards from the end of the runway. The pilot stated that there were no engine-related mechanical anomalies. The flight controls were subject to impact damage; however, the damage was consistent with failures associated with overload due to ground impact and not a failure in flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7013W
- Reported as
- M-Squared Sport 1000
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1003
- Built
- 1997
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- LXL · Little Falls, MN
- Destination
- LXL · Little Falls, MN
- Airport
- LXL · Little Falls/Morrison County-L, runway 31, 4,010 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 53
- Injuries
- Minor
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6.5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- LXL
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.6 MB 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.