Amateur-built PULSAR 582 accident near Greenfield, Indiana, June 6, 1998
On June 6, 1998 at about 9:33 pm local time, a amateur-built PULSAR 582, registered N177TW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenfield, Indiana (Mount Comfort 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 failure to obtain control of the aircraft during the recovery from a stall. Factors associated with the accident were the intentional stall initiated and the low altitude which did not allow a full recovery from the stall condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 1998 · about 9:33 pm local time
- Place
- Greenfield, Indiana · Mount Comfort · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PULSAR 582
- Registration
- N177TW · no longer on the register · serial 177
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing power on stalls at 1,800 feet agl when the nose of the airplane fell through the straight vertical. He reported that he pulled back on the control yoke in an attempt to recover instead of pushing forward. He reported the airplane was beginning to recover; however, he determined that he could not completely recover prior to impacting the terrain so he deployed the ballistic recovery system on the airplane. The airplane impacted the terrain in a nose low attitude and slid approximately 200 feet prior to the pilot being able to manually deflate the parachute.
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: 203 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 148 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 83 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1998; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 460 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax ROTEX 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UWL New Castle IN at 9:10 pm
- Destination: MQJ Mount Comfort IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from IND, 19 miles away
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.
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.