Amateur-built Hi-Max accident near Monroe, Georgia, July 9, 2019
On July 9, 2019 at about 9:32 pm local time, a amateur-built Hi-Max, registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Monroe, Georgia (Monroe-Walton County airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A collision with terrain for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2019 · about 9:32 pm local time
- Place
- Monroe, Georgia · Monroe-Walton County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Hi-Max
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 01
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner of the unregistered accident airplane (who was not a certificate pilot) purchased it several months before the accident and arranged for the accident pilot to inspect and test fly it, which he did successfully for about 10 minutes. On the day before the accident, the accident noticed that the owner was having difficulty starting the airplane’s engine and offered to have his mechanic troubleshoot the issue. The pilot and mechanic subsequently worked on the airplane, after which the pilot departed in the airplane on the accident flight. Witnesses generally described that the airplane departed from the runway before making a left turn and impacting the ground near the airport perimeter fence. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Given this information, the reason that the airplane impacted the ground while maneuvering after takeoff could not be determined.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 13, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EA-81 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Sky: overcast at 110 ft; clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 9:30 pm from D73
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on March 16, 2022. 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 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Bill of Sale and Notes | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Conversation Owner | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under UNREG 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.