Amateur-built 1300-Z MAX accident near Lascassas, Tennessee, July 12, 1996
On July 12, 1996 at about 10:15 pm local time, a amateur-built 1300-Z MAX, registered N398MT, was destroyed in an accident near Lascassas, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering (turning) after takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall at too low of an altitude to allow recovery.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 1996 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lascassas, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 1300-Z MAX
- Registration
- N398MT · registry record · serial 398
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after takeoff to the west, he performed a left turn to the south; during the turn, 'the left wing stalled after experiencing turbulence,' and the airplane struck the ground at a 'level attitude' on level terrain. Rescue personnel asked the pilot what happened, and he said that he had just taken off, 'made a hard bank left and lost it. It was my fault....' An FAA inspector stated, the pilot told him that he had no mechanical problems with the airplane or the engine. An examination of the engine and airframe revealed no discrepancy.
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: 429 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 379 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 140 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 12, 1996; 140 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 363 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Zenoah G50C-011143 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 900 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.