S.C. Aerostar S.A. Yak52 accident near South Portland, ME
On July 17, 2010, a S.C. Aerostar S.A. Yak52 (airplane) was involved in an accident near South Portland, ME. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 17, 2010
- Place
- South Portland, ME
- Aircraft
- S.C. Aerostar S.A. Yak52 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 43.643°N, 70.330°W
- NTSB ID
- 20100717X74629
Official records · ERA10FA364
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Recorded Communications Between N52MY And PWM Tower: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 17, 2010, at 1527 eastern daylight time, an experimental S.C. Aerostar S.A. Yakovlev 52, N52MY, operated by a private pilot, collided with the ground following an in-flight loss of control after takeoff from runway 29 at Portland International Jetport (PWM), Portland, Maine. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the planned local flight. The private pilot and certificated flight instructor (CFI) were fatally injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. According to witnesses who observed the airplane take off, they saw the wings rocking back and forth as it started to climb. The airplane continued to climb and then started to turn left, back to the airport. All of the witnesses who observed the accident stated that the airplane banked left and then nosed straight down. Those that did not see the actual impact stated that a large cloud of dust and dirt could be seen in the air. Review of surveillance video also confirmed that the airplane descended uncontrolled into terrain. According to the air traffic controller at PWM, who was handling N52MY, the airplane had made two successful touch-and-go landings. The third landing was full-stop and the pilot back-taxied to the run-up area. The controller stated that he believed the pilot was doing an engine run-up. Following the run-up, the pilot requested to take off again, but told the controller that he needed to do a systems check, and that he wanted to stay ove
Probable cause
The pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed during an emergency return to the airport following a total loss of engine power, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident was a total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot's lack of recent flying experience.
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Browse: Maine
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
