Overview
On August 12, 2012, about 1730 eastern daylight time, an Ison Aircraft Eros, registration N4007B, impacted terrain during initial climb from a private field near Schoolcraft, Michigan. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot, who did not hold a pilot certificate or an airman medical certificate, was uninjured. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Accident Details
According to the pilot, he had been performing short hops after departing from his backyard. As the airplane climbed over trees, the wind, coming from the left, banked the airplane to the left. The pilot recovered control about 25 feet above ground level and landed on a corn field. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the flight controls.
Pilot Background
The pilot had previously flown ultralight aircraft and reported a total flight time of about 30 hours in ultralight aircraft. He did not hold an airplane medical or pilot certificate at the time of the accident.
Aircraft Registration and Maintenance
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector noted that the airplane registration had not been transferred to reflect the pilot’s ownership. The FAA requested maintenance records from the pilot but did not receive any, making it impossible to determine if the airplane met inspection and maintenance requirements. Subsequently, the pilot sold the airplane. Additionally, a National Transportation Safety Board Accident/Incident Report (Form 6120.1) was not submitted by the pilot.