Amateur-built 1600R Sport accident near South Bend, Indiana, December 13, 2021
On December 13, 2021 at about 9:40 pm local time, a 2008 amateur-built 1600R Sport, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near South Bend, Indiana (Chain-O-Lakes airport). It was a personal 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 pilot’s low-level flight and poor visual lookout which resulted in collision with a light pole on final approach and the pilot’s improper decision to operate an airplane under the influence of alcohol.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2021 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- South Bend, Indiana · Chain-O-Lakes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 1600R Sport NO SERIES, built 2008
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial n/a
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A pilot witness reported that he and the uncertificated accident pilot met at the local airport to fly; they each flew their respective airplanes for about 30 minutes. The pilot witness reported that as the accident airplane headed back to the airport to land, the airplane’s altitude was too low, and it collided with a light pole. According to the local law enforcement and responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, the airplane came to rest in a residential area and sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. Examination of the airplane and did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane did not have an airworthiness certificate or registration markings. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the pilot did not have an FAA pilot’s license or medical certificate. Law enforcement reported that the pilot smelled of alcohol and a preliminary breath test revealed a 0.114 blood alcohol content (BAC). FAA regulations state a pilot cannot operate a civil aircraft with a BAC of 0.04 or more.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Low altitude operation/event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Sensory ability/limitation › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 560 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3IN7 South Bend IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 2,100 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.24 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from KSBN, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSBN 132154Z 23007KT 10SM CLR 08/M01 A3024 RMK AO2 SLP246 T00831011 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 9, 2022. 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 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Law Enforcement Report - Excerpts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | 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 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.