Van'S Aircraft RV-12iS accident near Lake Elmo, Minnesota, April 5, 2024
On April 5, 2024 at about 7:54 pm local time, a 2020 Van'S Aircraft RV-12iS, registered N245EM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Lake Elmo, Minnesota (Lake Elmo 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, and the nose gear collapsing. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot’s lack of experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 2024 · about 7:54 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Elmo, Minnesota · Lake Elmo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Van'S Aircraft RV-12iS, built 2020 · all RV-12iSs on the register
- Registration
- N245EM · registry record · serial 12094
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot was landing the light-sport airplane on the runway when it bounced multiple times. The nose gear collapsed, the propeller struck the ground, and the airplane came to rest upright on the runway in a nose-down attitude. The student pilot was able to exit the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot further reported that the accident could have been prevented by initiating a go-around after the first bounce but concluded that his reason for not initiating a go-around, was due to his lack of experience.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Evacuation during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 49 hours in all; 49 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 31, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 812.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 8, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax Aircraft Engines 912iS (piston); 856 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14/3, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.16 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KSTP, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSTP 051953Z VRB04KT 10SM CLR 14/M02 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP214 T01391022 $
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 May 9, 2024. 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Van's Aircraft RV-12IS Pilot's Operating Handbook - Excerpt | 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.
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.