M Squared SPRINT 1000 N648MA

Summary

On 4 July 2011 at about 19:01 local time, a M Squared SPRINT 1000 registered N648MA, operated by Clark B. Millet, was involved in an accident near Heise, Idaho, 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

4 July 2011 at 19:01

Classification

Accident

Location

Heise, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

43.6336, -111.6822

Aircraft

M Squared SPRINT 1000

Registration

N648MA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Clark B. Millet

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Heise → Heise

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11LA324

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the accident airplane make and model.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Over the 7 months preceding the accident, the owner had conducted extensive work on the experimental light sport airplane, including the installation of new sails (fabric wing covers). The accident flight was a test flight following this work. Before the flight, the owner and the pilot completed a preflight inspection, an engine run-up, and a complete check of the control surfaces, with no anomalies noted. The owner, who remained on the ground and witnessed the accident, reported that, after taking off and climbing to 150 feet above ground level, the pilot made a 180-degree turn. The airplane was in a shallow climb at an altitude of about 100 feet above ground level when it appeared to stall. The left wing dropped, and the airplane descended in a steep left bank to ground impact. The owner ran to the airplane, and, while awaiting emergency responders, he spoke to the pilot, who said "I had no ailerons." The pilot's report of a loss of aileron control is consistent with the degradation of roll control authority during an aerodynamic stall. According to the owner, the pilot did not have any previous flight experience in the accident airplane make and model.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.