Amateur-built RA2 accident near Hector, Minnesota, August 6, 2017
On August 6, 2017 at about 8:51 pm local time, a 2011 amateur-built RA2, registered N952RA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hector, Minnesota (Hector Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper installation of the control stick hardware, which resulted in a loss of elevator control in flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2017 · about 8:51 pm local time
- Place
- Hector, Minnesota · Hector Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RA2 NO SERIES, built 2011
- Registration
- N952RA · registry record · serial 599
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot and passenger were departing on a local flight in the experimental, amateur-built airplane. The pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll, he pulled back on the control stick, but instead of rotating off the runway, the airplane bounced, then pitched straight up. Once airborne, the airplane did not respond to the pilot's control inputs. The pilot reduced the engine power and the airplane stalled. The nose dropped, and the airplane subsequently impacted terrain. Examination found that the control stick was not connected to the elevator bracket. A search of the wreckage did not locate any nut that would have secured the bolt. The pilot reported that he would have used a castellated nut with a cotter pin to secure the bolt; however, he could not remember installing the nut. The airplane had been flown 6 or 7 times before the accident flight and it is likely that the nut backed off during that time. The accident is consistent with a loss of elevator control due to the pilot's failure to properly secure the control stick to the elevator bracket.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Control column section › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,200 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: August 19, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 820 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1D6 Hector MN at 8:51 pm
- Destination: 1D6 Hector MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 2,580 ft by 165 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KOVL, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on March 15, 2018. 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 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.