Amateur-built TRIKE accident near Marlboro, Ohio, July 17, 2012
On July 17, 2012 at about 1:30 pm local time, a amateur-built TRIKE, registered N404EA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Marlboro, Ohio (Sunset Strip Airport). 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2012 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marlboro, Ohio · Sunset Strip Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built TRIKE
- Registration
- N404EA · no longer on the register · serial 0001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff, witnesses saw the trike airplane turn left and pitch up to a steep nose-high attitude before the right wing dropped and the airplane descended to the ground. The descriptions of the accident were consistent with an aerodynamic stall. An examination of the wreckage did not detect any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot did not have a logbook, and, in a postaccident interview, he revealed that he had little experience and flight time in 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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 43 hours
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OH07 Marboro OH at 1:30 pm
- Destination: OH07 Marboro OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KCAK, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 23, 2013. 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 | Photo 1: Wreckage Overview (FAA Photo) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Correspondence with FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | 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 N404EA 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.