- Date
- March 21, 2012, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gap, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- UNREGJDT MiniMax
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 15, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 83201
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 airspeed during a go-around, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.
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 student pilot reported that, while approaching a friend’s farm field for landing, he elected to perform a go-around. As he increased pitch to climb, the airplane entered a stall about 200 feet above ground level. He lowered the nose to increase airspeed; however, there was insufficient altitude to recover, and the airplane crashed into a field. The fuselage’s wooden structure fractured in several places, resulting in substantial airframe damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. He cited his indecisiveness as a factor.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that, while approaching a farm field for landing in his unregistered aircraft, he elected to perform a go-around. As he increased pitch, the aircraft entered a stall about 200 feet above ground level. He lowered the nose to increase airspeed; however, there was insufficient altitude to recover and the aircraft crashed into a field. The wooden structure in the fuselage fractured in several places, resulting in substantial airframe damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures during the flight that would have precluded normal operation. He also cited his indecisiveness as a factor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- JDT MiniMax (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Serial number
- Unk
- Airframe hours
- 120
- Engine
- Rotax 447, 45 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 2012 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- Ephrata, PA
- Destination
- Ephrata, PA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 40 total · 30 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- LNS, 10 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.