Evolution Aircraft INC REVO accident near Berlin, New Hampshire, October 29, 2017
On October 29, 2017 at about 2:52 pm local time, a 2017 Evolution Aircraft INC REVO (weight-shift aircraft), registered N401HK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Berlin, New Hampshire (Berlin Rgnl 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 center the ground steering before landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 2017 · about 2:52 pm local time · cases in 2017
- Place
- Berlin, New Hampshire · Berlin Rgnl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Evolution Aircraft INC REVO NO SERIES, built 2017 · all REVOs on the register
- Registration
- N401HK · registry record · serial 000623
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the weight-shift aircraft reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. When the aircraft touched down, it veered to the left because he did not have the ground steering centered before touchdown. The pilot initiated a go-around; however, the aircraft collided with an airport ramp sign. The weight-shift aircraft sustained substantial damage to the wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the weight-shift aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 657 hours in all; 50 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 6, 2017
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,160 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax ULS (piston); 253 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BML Berlin NH at 1:00 pm
- Destination: BML Berlin NH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; a few clouds at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 pm from KBML
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 19, 2018. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N401HK on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Evolution Aircraft Inc REVO 30 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Rotax ULS · as the NTSB recorded it
- Berlin Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in New Hampshire 393 since 1982 · 56 in the last ten years
- New Hampshire 1,564 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/GAA18CA033.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.