Aeros Venture 2000 accident near Bad Axe, Michigan, July 23, 2018
On July 23, 2018 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Aeros Venture 2000 (weight-shift aircraft), registered N43865, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Bad Axe, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of aircraft control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2018 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bad Axe, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeros Venture 2000
- Registration
- N43865 · no longer on the register · serial GS-001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot flew his newly acquired weight-shift control aircraft from his home to a nearby airport, where he performed two low passes over the runway before landing. After landing, he stated to a coworker that he experienced difficulty controlling the aircraft during the two low passes and described the aircraft as "very squirrely" at low speeds. He stated that he was concerned about the return flight to his home and his ability to land there. The pilot subsequently departed back to his home. Shortly thereafter, witnesses reported seeing the aircraft in a spiraling, descending turn as it maneuvered toward a roadway. As the airplane neared the roadway, the wings momentarily leveled, and the aircraft immediately became inverted. The witnesses said that as the aircraft began to recover, it struck a tall stand of trees that bordered the roadway. The accident pilot reported to another friend and coworker that he needed to order some tubing to make a repair to the aircraft; however, the friend was unaware of what repair was needed or if it had been accomplished before the accident flight. Although examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, impact damage precluded determination of the pre-accident configuration of the aircraft, specifically its wing assembly and hang point mechanism, and whether the configuration of these components may have affected the controllability of the aircraft. Given the witness accounts of the accident and the statements of friends and coworkers regarding control problems, it is likely that the pilot encountered an inflight control anomaly. It is possible that the pilot was maneuvering toward the road to conduct an emergency landing and experienced a loss of control; however, the nature of the control anomaly could not be determined based on the available information.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering
- Inflight upset during emergency descent defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen / Great Plains (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBAX Bad Axe MI at 8:25 pm
- Destination: Bad Axe MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from KBAX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on July 10, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accident Diagram (Provided by FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement (Galea) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspector Statement (Gornowicz) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N43865 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.