- Date
- June 25, 2023, 09:40 local (13:40 UTC)
- Place
- Bonaire, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N528REEdmisten Robert Eugene SR Rans S-14 Airaile
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230625011219A
- Case key
- 192492
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’s failure to properly adjust the propeller’s pitch angle, which resulted in a loss of thrust and an inability to maintain altitude.
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 pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane was flight testing a newly installed propeller. During ground static testing, the pilot found the propeller rpm to be acceptable. After liftoff, the engine rpm increased to a non-acceptable range. The pilot responded by reducing the throttle and retracting the flaps. He also described that the airplane’s flight controls felt like a “…mushy precursor to a stall.” The pilot then increased the engine power to full and lowered the nose of the airplane to increase airspeed. The airport was surrounded by housing developments, and the pilot turned left in an attempt to return to the airport, but the airplane would not maintain altitude. He then guided the airplane toward trees in order to avoid impacting the houses. During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, tailboom, and cabin structure. Following the accident, the pilot stated that he had, “inadequately adjusted” the propeller’s pitch before the accident flight, which resulted in the airplane’s inability to maintain thrust and lift.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N528RE
- Reported as
- Edmisten Robert Eugene SR Rans S-14 Airaile
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0803133
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 676
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 52 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Edmisten Robert E Sr
- Registered owner
- Edmisten Robert E Sr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 28, 2022
- Airport
- RAP · Warner Robbins Air Park, runway 27, 2,500 × 70 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Angle of attack indicator
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
- 74
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- March 28, 2017
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 956 total · 677 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- WRB, 6 nm away
- METAR
- KWRB 241355Z AUTO 35004KT 10SM CLR 26/21 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP162 T02630206
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.