AEROS Venture 2000 near Bad Axe, MI — 2018-07-23

Probable cause

The pilot's loss of aircraft control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

NTSB narrative

The pilot flew his newly acquired weight-shift control aircraft from his home to a nearby airport, where he performed two low passes over the runway before landing. After landing, he stated to a coworker that he experienced difficulty controlling the aircraft during the two low passes and described the aircraft as "very squirrely" at low speeds. He stated that he was concerned about the return flight to his home and his ability to land there. The pilot subsequently departed back to his home. Shortly thereafter, witnesses reported seeing the aircraft in a spiraling, descending turn as it maneuvered toward a roadway. As the airplane neared the roadway, the wings momentarily leveled, and the aircraft immediately became inverted. The witnesses said that as the aircraft began to recover, it struck a tall stand of trees that bordered the roadway. The accident pilot reported to another friend and coworker that he needed to order some tubing to make a repair to the aircraft; however, the friend was unaware of what repair was needed or if it had been accomplished before the accident flight. Although examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, impact damage precluded determination of the pre-accident configuration of the aircraft, specifically its wing assembly and hang point mechanism, and whether the configuration of these components may have affected the controllability of the aircraft. Given the witness accounts of the accident and the statements of friends and coworkers regarding control problems, it is likely that the pilot encountered an inflight control anomaly. It is possible that the pilot was maneuvering toward the road to conduct an emergency landing and experienced a loss of control; however, the nature of the control anomaly could not be determined based on the available information.

Analysis

Primary failure mode

Loss of control

First missed decision gate

Pilot could have chosen not to fly after expressing control concerns.

NTSB coding

• Inflight upset · Emergency descent

Evidence available

• Photos
• 6 docket documents

Docket documents6

• FAA Inspector Statement (Galea)interview
• FAA Inspector Statement (Gornowicz)interview
• Witness Statementsinterview
• Accident Diagram (Provided by FAA)other
• Photosphotos
• Toxicological Reportreport