Amateur-built RV-6 N212LB accident near Au Gres, Michigan

Probable cause

The pilot’s low altitude maneuvering, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with the water.

NTSB analysis

The pilot contacted his friend and told him to be at the beach and watch for the airplane. The friend reported that he saw the airplane make about three passes up and down the beach. On the third pass, the airplane made a steep left turn, which the friend believed resulted in a stall. The pilot reported that, as he arrived at the peninsula, he proceeded across the shoreline, crossed the beach, and dropped to an altitude of about 100 feet above ground level. He made a right turn, and then, after passing the bridge, he made a tight left turn and “felt a bump/drop, as if my left wing lost lift.” He leveled off, slightly nose high, and headed in an east to southeast direction. The pilot could not recall any further details of the accident. The airplane impacted just offshore in about 5 feet of water, and the forward fuselage sustained substantial damage. The airplane’s sudden wing drop is consistent with an aerodynamic stall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12CA294 for the full record.