Amateur-built Aero Comp-6 accident near Brainerd, Minnesota, November 30, 2005
On November 30, 2005 at about 8:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Aero Comp-6, registered N4334Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brainerd, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot/builder inadvertently reversed the aileron control systems during installation and failed to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot/builder’s failure to perform an adequate aircraft preflight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 2005 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brainerd, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Aero Comp-6
- Registration
- N4334Z · no longer on the register · serial AC6114
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with the terrain following a loss of control on takeoff. The pilot, who was also the airplane builder, reported that the takeoff was normal and at an altitude of about 20 feet above the runway, the left wing dropped slightly. He stated he attempted to compensate by using opposite aileron, however, the wing continued to drop until the airplane contacted the ground. The pilot stated the accident occurred during the first flight after he converted the aileron system from push-pull cables to a tube and bell crank system. The pilot reported he inadvertently reversed the left and right aileron control systems when he installed the conversion.
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
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BRD Brainerd MN
- Destination: Brainerd MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from BRD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N4334Z 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.