Amateur-built RV-6 accident near Au Gres, Michigan, May 13, 2012
On May 13, 2012 at about 3:00 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-6, registered N212LB, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Au Gres, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s low altitude maneuvering, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with the water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 2012 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Au Gres, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-6
- Registration
- N212LB · registry record · serial 20463
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 105 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 30 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 13, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3CM Bay City MI
- Destination: Au Gres MI
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from KOSC, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.