Accident Overview
On July 9, 2019, at approximately 1732 eastern daylight time, an unregistered experimental amateur-built Team Mini-Max Hi-Max aircraft was destroyed after impacting terrain near Monroe-Walton County Airport (D73) in Monroe, Georgia. The pilot, who was conducting a test flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, was fatally injured.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft owner, who was not a certificated pilot, had purchased the airplane in February 2019 and transported it to D73. He arranged with the accident pilot to inspect and test fly the airplane. After a brief inspection, the pilot conducted a test flight lasting about 10 minutes. Several months later, on the day before the accident, the owner attempted to start the engine but it did not start. After multiple attempts, the pilot offered to have his mechanic troubleshoot the issue. The owner gave the keys to the pilot, and the following day was notified of the accident.
A mechanic assisted the pilot before the accident flight. He performed a routine oil change and witnessed the pilot install a new battery. After starting the engine, the mechanic helped reinstall the engine cowling and watched the pilot taxi around the taxiway and runway. The mechanic observed the pilot take off, climb to about 500 feet above ground level, and make a normal left turn back toward the runway. During the turn, terrain obscured the mechanic's view, and he then heard the aircraft impact the ground.
A witness reported seeing a low-flying airplane moving at high speed over a house, making a "hard" left banking turn back toward the runway before disappearing behind trees. The witness heard a loud "boom" and later drove to the airport, discovering the wreckage.
Aircraft and Engine
The aircraft was not registered with the Federal Aviation Administration and lacked an airworthiness certificate. A bill of sale dated February 21, 2019, stated the airplane was "sold as is, where is and is not airworthy at this time." The owner believed the airplane qualified as an ultralight under 14 CFR Part 103. The accident pilot performed maintenance on July 8 and 9, 2019, replacing parts including a battery, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, and four quarts of 10W-40 oil. He also cleaned and gapped spark plugs, inspected and lubricated flight controls, packed wheel bearings, and adjusted rudder control. No formal condition inspection records were found.
A representative of the kit manufacturer stated the Subaru EA-81 engine fitted on the airplane was "too heavy" for the Hi-Max model and required 20-30 pounds of ballast in the back to offset the extra weight. During an FAA inspector's examination of the fuselage, no ballast was found. The representative also noted the engine weight made the aircraft ineligible for Part 103 operation as an ultralight.
Post-Accident Examination
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage, which came to rest in a field adjacent to the airport perimeter fence. All major components were present, and flight control continuity was established to all controls and surfaces. The engine and propeller showed impact damage. The carburetor had no foreign debris, and no residual fuel was found. Impact damage was observed on the throttle assembly. Spark plugs (Autolite 3923) showed no damage or fouling. Rotating the crankshaft produced thumb compression on all four cylinders, with no anomalies noted. The three-blade composite propeller was fragmented and sheared from the hub, and the aluminum spinner was crushed.
An autopsy by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Division of Forensic Sciences determined the cause of the pilot's death as multiple blunt force injuries.