Summary
On May 18, 2013, a Thomas David W RANS S-12 XL (N81788) was involved in an accident near Cleveland, GA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of overall recent flight experience and lack of experience in make and model.
The pilot was conducting his first flight in the two-seat experimental amateur-built airplane, with the non-certificated pilot/owner seated in the right seat. The pilot reported that the airplane accelerated and departed from the turf runway without incident; however, as it climbed to an altitude about 300 feet above the ground, he entered a left 180-degree turn. During the turn, the airplane inadvertently stalled, and descended into a pond, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Both occupants were able to exit the airplane and stated that they did not experience any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported about 1,600 hours of total flight experience with no previous flight hours in make and model.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA13CA250. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N81788.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of overall recent flight experience and lack of experience in make and model.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot was conducting his first flight in the two-seat experimental amateur-built airplane, with the non-certificated pilot/owner seated in the right seat. The pilot reported that the airplane accelerated and departed from the turf runway without incident; however, as it climbed to an altitude about 300 feet above the ground, he entered a left 180-degree turn. During the turn, the airplane inadvertently stalled, and descended into a pond, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Both occupants were able to exit the airplane and stated that they did not experience any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported about 1,600 hours of total flight experience with no previous flight hours in make and model. In addition, he had not flown at all during the previous 7 months. The owner had accumulated about 30 hours in the accident airplane. He stated that he had seen the pilot flying other airplanes in the past and assumed he was capable of the flying the accident airplane.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA13CA250