Amateur-built Baby Ace accident near Spencerport, New York, December 5, 2001
On December 5, 2001 at about 6:43 pm local time, a amateur-built Baby Ace, registered N916MG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spencerport, New York (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during approach to the airport, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 2001 · about 6:43 pm local time
- Place
- Spencerport, New York · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Baby Ace
- Registration
- N916MG · registry record · serial MG1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness observed the airplane about 200 feet above the ground, turning from base to final leg. It was in a steep bank, approximately 60 degrees. The witnessed remarked to his wife that the airplane was going to stall, and then he observed the airplane fly directly into the ground. The pilot was seriously injured, and did not recall the accident. Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed that the right wing aileron cable was not secured in a pulley groove. However, emergency personnel had severed the wings during the rescue effort, and the FAA inspector could not determine if the cable dislodged before the accident or during the rescue effort.
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: 310 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 240 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Spencerport NY at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,600 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from ROC, 10 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC02LA034.