Amateur-built Aircamper accident near Bloomfield, Wisconsin, September 3, 2001
On September 3, 2001 at about 7:48 pm local time, a amateur-built Aircamper, registered N7172B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bloomfield, Wisconsin (Vincent 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
Aircraft control not possible due to the inadvertent control interference by the front seat passenger. Factors to the accident were the restricted control stick movement and the encountered stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2001 · about 7:48 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomfield, Wisconsin · Vincent Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Aircamper
- Registration
- N7172B · no longer on the register · serial 1188
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial climb after takeoff the airplane began to sink rapidly and the pilot lowered the nose of the airplane in order gain some additional airspeed. The pilot reported that he cleared two groupings of trees and, "...knew enough to keep the plane from banking or yawing to eliminate the chance of a stall, however at this point I think my passenger in the front seat decided to turn around & see what I was doing. I think his [right] leg pushed the stick over & the plane went into a left bank. All my efforts to right the stick would not do it [and] being too close to the ground I could not recover control before we struck the ground... ." The pilot stated that witnesses to the accident saw the airplane clear the second row of trees, yaw to the left, and then bank to the left. The pilot reported that when the airplane banked to the left, "... caused us to lose what lift we had." A written request for a passenger statement was made, and as of the date of this report no response was received.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,386 hours in all; 238 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,296 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 17, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 250 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 2001; 20 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-75-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 64C Bloomfield WI at 7:48 pm
- Destination: 88C Palmyra WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 1,775 ft by 130 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from BUU, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.