Mini Max 1200 UNREG

Summary

On 8 June 2016 at about 15:30 local time, a Mini Max 1200 registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Batesville, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 June 2016 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Batesville, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Batesville (HLB)

Coordinates

39.3439, -85.2586

Aircraft

Mini Max 1200

Registration

UNREG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Batesville → Batesville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16LA329

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle-of-attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to depart without obtaining flight training in the accident airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during the initial climb after takeoff, he noticed the controls were "loose and sloppy," and he elected to return to the airport and land. During the turn back to the airport, the airplane's nose dropped, and the pilot increased back pressure on the control stick with little effect. The airplane descended into the wooded terrain about 1/4-mile northwest of the airport, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot was likely unfamiliar with the airplane's handling characteristics, as he stated that he had not received any flight training specific to the accident airplane. It is likely that, during the turn, the nose dropped due an aerodynamic stall; the pilot's increased back pressure on the control stick exacerbated the stall by further decreasing the airspeed and increasing the angle of attack.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.