Event ERA16LA267

Factual narrative

On July 23, 2016, about 1555 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Freedom Master FM-2, N282XT, was substantially damaged when it impacted a house shortly after takeoff from Goodspeed Airport (42B), East Haddam, Connecticut. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight that was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 and was destined for Republic Airport (FRG), Farmingdale, New York.According to witnesses, the pilot performed an engine run-up and then departed the airport. The airplane climbed to about 400 feet above ground level, "banked hard left," entered a spin, and then descended behind trees. A witness video recorded the airplane in the spin, which revealed that the engine was operating until it impacted a house. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and sea, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued on April 29, 2016. According to the pilot's logbook recovered at the time of the accident, he accumulated about 375 hours of flight time, of which, no hours were reported in the previous 3 years. However, his most recent flight review was dated January 29, 2016. Due to the pilot's injuries and subsequent convalescence, he was unable to complete and submit the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report (Form 6120.1). According to a friend of the pilot, the pilot did not have much flight time in the accident airplane and that most of the accident airplane phase flights were completed by another pilot. According to FAA records, the airplane was issued an airworthiness certificate in 2012. It was equipped with a Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200-hp engine. A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that the most recent condition inspection was performed on January 31, 2016, at a total time of 9.5 hours. In a maintenance log entry dated March 11, 2016, it stated that the airplane had accumulated 32.1 total hours of time in service. According to an FAA Inspector who responded to the accident site, the airplane impacted the house in a nose low attitude and came to rest inside the structure. The wings, fuselage, and empennage were substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The propeller remained attached to the engine and exhibited chordwise scratching. Furthermore, an odor consistent with aviation fuel was noted at the accident site. An examination of the airframe by an NTSB investigator revealed that both wing tips were impact damaged and the wings were separated from the airframe. The flaps and ailerons remained attached to the wings. The horizontal stabilizer and elevator were cut from the airframe to facilitate recovery, and the elevator remained attached to the horizontal stabilizer. The rudder was partially separated from the empennage. Flight control continuity was confirmed from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit through fractures consistent with overload. According to witnesses, the commercial pilot performed an engine run-up and then departed the airport in the experimental, amateur-built airplane. The airplane climbed to about 400 ft above ground level, entered a steep left bank then a spin, and descended behind trees. Video recorded by one of the witnesses showed the airplane in the spin and also revealed that the engine was operating until it impacted a house. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. According to a friend of the pilot, the pilot did not have much flight time in the accident airplane, and most of the accident airplane's initial test flights were completed by another pilot. There were no entries in the pilot's logbook associated with the accident airplane make and model. Given the lack of mechanical malfunctions and the pilot's lack of experience in the airplane, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain airplane control during the initial climb. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C