Evektor-Aerotechnik As SPORTSTAR accident near Indianapolis, Indiana, June 11, 2012
On June 11, 2012 at about 1:35 pm local time, a Evektor-Aerotechnik As SPORTSTAR, registered N902LA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Indianapolis, Indiana (Greenwood Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2012 · about 1:35 pm local time
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana · Greenwood Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Evektor-Aerotechnik As SPORTSTAR · all SPORTSTARs on the register
- Registration
- N902LA · no longer on the register · serial 20070902
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that the flight began as a dual instruction flight with his flight instructor. They performed 6 or 7 landings, which included simulated engine failures. The instructor then exited the airplane, and the student pilot performed two more takeoffs and landings to a full stop without incident. On the third solo takeoff, the left wing dipped and contacted the ground. The airplane then began to skid left, then off the runway to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot listed no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane.
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
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 50 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,851 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HFY Indianapolis IN
- Destination: HFY Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 19, 4,990 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from IND, 10 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.