Lite Flight DRAGONFLY accident near Mint Hill, North Carolina, May 27, 2018
On May 27, 2018 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 2006 Lite Flight DRAGONFLY, registered N582DF, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Mint Hill, North Carolina. 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 exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during a turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2018 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mint Hill, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lite Flight DRAGONFLY NO SERIES, built 2006
- Registration
- N582DF · registry record · serial 82
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while maneuvering about 1,300 ft mean sea level (about 600 ft above the ground), he initiated a 180° right turn, and about halfway through the turn, the airplane began to descend rapidly and would not respond to flight controls. The airplane struck a tree, spun to the right, and came to rest on a residential house. Postaccident examination conducted by the pilot revealed that all controls were intact and operational. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings. In a written statement provided to the local police department, the pilot reported that he lost control of the airplane, and it "spiraled down" and then struck a tree and a house. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Given the pilot's statement, it is likely that the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall/spin when the pilot exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack during a turn.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: unk
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 730 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 15, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 992 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582UL (piston); 430 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 28A Indian Trail NC at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 28A Indian Trail NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KEQY, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 28, 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 | Pilot Written Statement to Police | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident 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.
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.