Amateur-built 1600R accident near Chesaning, Michigan, July 6, 2013
On July 6, 2013 at about 10:45 pm local time, a amateur-built 1600R, registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Chesaning, Michigan (Howard Nixon Memorial airport). 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 failure of the propeller reduction gearbox and the pilot’s subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall and spin. Contributing to the accident were the inadequate maintenance of the airplane and the student pilot’s lack of experience in performing emergency procedures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2013 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Chesaning, Michigan · Howard Nixon Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 1600R
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial None
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Several witnesses reported seeing the airplane heading north, turning, and then losing control. One witness stated that engine was "inordinately loud" and that the airplane appeared to enter a "nose dive." Another witness reported that the engine sounded like it was "cutting out" as the airplane spun to the ground. The pilot had been issued a student pilot certificate about 7 years before the accident; however, no pilot flight logbooks were recovered, so the pilot's level of training could not be determined. A postaccident examination of the airframe and flight control system revealed no anomalies. An examination of the engine showed that all of the teeth of one of the two gears in the propeller reduction gearbox were broken off. Additionally, the ball retaining cage on one of the ball bearings that supported the propeller shaft had failed, and several of the balls were missing from the bearing. A sludgelike substance resembling old oil was found in the gear reduction case, and no liquid oil was found, which is indicative of inadequate maintenance. No airplane maintenance records were found. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the bearing and gear in the propeller reduction gearbox failed as a result of inadequate maintenance (lack of lubrication), which resulted in a loss of propeller thrust and reduced the airplane's airspeed. The pilot did not obtain adequate airspeed (by lowering the nose), which led to the exceedance of the airplane's critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent stall and spin to the ground. Because the pilot only held a student pilot certificate with an unknown level of training over the previous 7 years, it is likely that he did not have sufficient experience to handle the in-flight emergency.
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 engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Recent experience › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › (general) › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 50G Chesaning MI
- Destination: 50G Chesaning MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from RNP, 11 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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG 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.