- Date
- February 17, 2009, 14:51 local (19:51 UTC)
- Place
- Windham, NH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- UNREGHI-Max 1700R
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 12, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Allentown FSDO
- Case key
- 73404
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 non-certificated pilot's failure to maintain clearance from houses while flying an unregistered experimental, amateur-built airplane.
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 non-certificated pilot was flying an unregistered experimental, amateur-built airplane. The husband of the pilot informed a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that his wife departed from a pond covered with ice. His wife flew around the local area, just above the trees, at 200 feet. The airplane was heading towards a housing area and pulled up just before it collided with the roof of a private residence. The airplane glanced off the roof, hit another residence, and came to rest on the ground inverted. The pilot informed her husband that the rudder on the airplane was stuck. Examination of the airplane by the FAA inspector revealed no anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The non-certificated pilot was flying an unregistered amateur-built airplane. The husband of the pilot informed a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that his wife departed from a pond covered with ice. His wife flew around the local area, just above the trees, at 200 feet. The airplane was heading towards a housing area and pulled up just before it collided with the roof of a private residence. The airplane glanced off the roof, hit another residence, and came to rest on the ground inverted. The pilot informed her husband that the rudder on the airplane was stuck. Examination of the airplane by the FAA inspector revealed no anomalies with the airplane. The husband stated the airplane did not have any logbooks. The National Transportation Safety Board investigator attempted to contact the pilot and her husband several times by telephone with negative results. An NTSB Pilot-Operator Aircraft Accident Report form was sent to the pilot by NTSB via Federal Express. The completed form was not received by NTSB.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- HI-Max 1700R
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- UNKNOWN
- Engine
- Rotax 447, 40 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Departed
- NONE · Windham, NH
- Destination
- NONE · Windham, NH
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- MHT, 22 nm away