Amateur-built Sprint 1000 accident near Heise, Idaho, July 4, 2011
On July 4, 2011 at about 7:01 pm local time, a amateur-built Sprint 1000, registered N648MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Heise, Idaho. 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
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the accident airplane make and model.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2011 · about 7:01 pm local time
- Place
- Heise, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Sprint 1000
- Registration
- N648MA · registry record · serial 7771600M-2005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Over the 7 months preceding the accident, the owner had conducted extensive work on the experimental light sport airplane, including the installation of new sails (fabric wing covers). The accident flight was a test flight following this work. Before the flight, the owner and the pilot completed a preflight inspection, an engine run-up, and a complete check of the control surfaces, with no anomalies noted. The owner, who remained on the ground and witnessed the accident, reported that, after taking off and climbing to 150 feet above ground level, the pilot made a 180-degree turn. The airplane was in a shallow climb at an altitude of about 100 feet above ground level when it appeared to stall. The left wing dropped, and the airplane descended in a steep left bank to ground impact. The owner ran to the airplane, and, while awaiting emergency responders, he spoke to the pilot, who said "I had no ailerons." The pilot's report of a loss of aileron control is consistent with the degradation of roll control authority during an aerodynamic stall. According to the owner, the pilot did not have any previous flight experience in the accident airplane make and model.
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 uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 810 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 8, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Heise ID at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Heise ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from IDA, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.