- Date
- October 30, 2011, 18:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Amherst, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6111FAeros Trike
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111030024649A
- Case key
- 82208
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 inadequate aircraft control and improper airspeed while maneuvering to land, which resulted in a stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the make and model of the accident aircraft.
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 student pilot was conducting his first solo flight in the experimental light sport, weight-shift control aircraft. He reported that he lost control of the aircraft during the initial climb after takeoff. According to a witness and the pilot's flight instructor, the pilot stalled the aircraft several times while maneuvering around the traffic pattern. During a right turn onto the final leg of the traffic pattern, the aircraft entered a steep descent and impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot stated that there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the aircraft. He reported 16 hours of total flight experience, which included 1 hour in the same make and model as the accident aircraft.
Factual narrative
The student pilot was conducting his first solo flight in the experimental light-sport, weight-shift control aircraft. The student pilot reported that he lost control of the airplane during the initial climb after takeoff. According to a witness and the pilot's flight instructor, the pilot stalled the airplane several times while maneuvering around the traffic pattern. During a right turn onto the final leg of the traffic pattern, the airplane entered a steep descent and impacted the ground which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot stated there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He reported 16 hours of total flight experience, which included 1 hour in the same make and model as the accident aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6111F
- Reported as
- Aeros Trike
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- A3POC-2
- Airframe hours
- 323
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 14, 2011
- Departed
- N/A · Amhurst, VA
- Destination
- N/A · Amhurst, VA
- Airport
- N/A · Buffalo Ridge Airsports, runway 16, 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
- 49
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 16 total · 1 in this make and model · 16 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.35 inHg
- Observed at
- LYH, 14 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 21, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.