AEROS LTD/SKYRANGER AIRCRAFT SKYRANGER II

Full Narrative

On May 25, 2012, about 1145 eastern daylight time, an Aeros Skyranger II experimental light sport airplane, N192RR, impacted terrain near Saline, Michigan. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated from Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (ARB), Ann Arbor, Michigan about 1130.

The pilot reported that he was maneuvering at low altitude when the airplane inadvertently stalled, resulting in an "extremely hard drop" and impact onto the landing gear. He noted that there was insufficient altitude available to recover from the aerodynamic stall. The flight conditions included uneven ground heating and updrafts, according to the pilot. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions that precipitated the accident.

A witness observed the airplane flying on a southwest course about 200 feet above ground level. The airplane turned to reverse course to the northeast and then entered a right turn, which was steeper than the preceding turn. The airplane did not recover from that turn and subsequently "fell" out of the sky.

The accident site was located about 3 miles southeast of ARB in the backyard of a residence. The airplane came to rest upright; although, the landing gear had collapsed and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination conducted by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction.