Amateur-built VARI-EZE accident near Seymour, Indiana, October 23, 1982
On October 23, 1982 at about 4:55 pm local time, a amateur-built VARI-EZE, registered N122EF, was destroyed in an accident near Seymour, Indiana (Freeman Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 1982 · about 4:55 pm local time
- Place
- Seymour, Indiana · Freeman Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VARI-EZE
- Registration
- N122EF · registry record · serial 528
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRCRAFT WAS BEING TAXI TESTED WHEN IT BECAME AIRBORNE AND FLEW A FAST, LOW TENTATIVE PATTERN. TURNING FINAL THE TURN WAS VERY STEEP AND AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO GROUND IMPACTING A TREE PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT. THE PILOT HAD NO RECORDED FLIGHT TIME IN THIS AIRCRAFT WHICH IS VERY SENSITIVE TO CONTROL INPUTS.
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: 775 hours in all; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 686 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 975 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SER Seymour IN at 11:50 am
- Destination: SER Seymour IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 4,100 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 122°F (50°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI83FA024.