M2 SPORT 1000 accident near Semmes, AL
On May 13, 1998, a M2 SPORT 1000 was involved in an accident near Semmes, AL. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 13, 1998
- Place
- Semmes, AL
- Aircraft
- M2 SPORT 1000 · ULTR
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 30.769°N, 88.259°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X10155
NTSB summary
On May 12, 1998, about 1900 central daylight time, an unregistered two-place ultralight, an M2 Sport 1000, owned and operated by a private individual as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed during initial climbout from a private grass strip near Semmes, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. Two unrated occupants sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The craft was being flown without an FAA waiver for two-occupant flight. Reports indicated that localized turbulence existed somewhere off the departure end of the strip, and immediately after the craft flew into that area, at 200 to 300 feet agl, it was observed to abruptly reverse course and descend toward its departure point. The craft impacted a 6 to 8 foot embankment within a dirt pit about 100 yards short of the grass strip. According to a statement by one of the local ultralight operators present at the strip, he flew with the accident-operator just previous to the accident flight and they encountered the same turbulence. At the point they entered the "choppy" air, the accident-operator reduced power and his passenger/dual-operator remembered thinking at the time that reducing power was the wrong corrective action. A third ultralight operator who took off immediately prior to the accident flight also encountered the turbulence, and stated he needed full power and full aileron deflection to counter the forces. When he quickly determined that wasn't enough, he used full rudder deflection. Once out of
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft after an encounter with turbulence during initial climb out. A related factor was the turbulence.
More accidents in AL
- Beech C99, Jul 10, 1991
- Cessna 421A, Jun 22, 1983
- Cessna 421C, Jul 9, 2011
- Piper PA 31, Aug 14, 2016
- Beech 95-B55B, Dec 5, 1992
Browse: Alabama
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
