Safety concerns of amateur-built experimental airplanes

The FAA has put out an InFO 10001 regarding amateur-built airplanes operating under an experimental airworthiness certificate and
possessing high wing loading with stall speeds in excess of 61 knots. The FAA notes the high fatality rate associated with these type of air planes. The FAA recommends that people owning and operating these aircraft seek specialized training from a certified flight instructor. The official InFo is below.

U.S. Department InFO 10001
of Transportation DATE: 3/9/10
Federal Aviation
Administration Flight Standards Service
Washington, DC

Safety concerns of amateur-built experimental Lancair and other amateur built airplanes possessing
high wing loading and stall speeds in excess of 61 knots
Purpose: To alert owners/operators and pilots about a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operational
safety concern regarding amateur-built airplanes operating under an experimental airworthiness certificate and
possessing high wing loading with stall speeds in excess of 61 knots.
Background: FAA analysis of fatal accidents for airplanes operating under an experimental airworthiness
certificates, such as the Lancair, has revealed a large and disproportionate number of fatal accidents for their
fleet size. Though the FAA has seen a recent downward trend, these aircraft types have experienced fatal
accident rates substantially higher than for-personal-use general aviation and the overall fatal accident rate for
all amateur-built experimental aircraft. The FAA believes that this is mainly due to the pilot’s lack of awareness
of the slow-flight and stall characteristics of these type of high performance aircraft. Also, the nature of
amateur-built aircraft means that each amateur-built aircraft may have unique flight handling characteristics.
Discussion: Over the past few years a number of fatal accidents occurred in these types of aircraft. A majority
of the fatal accidents occurred due to inadvertent stall/spins while at slower airspeeds in home airport traffic
patterns.
Amateur built experimental aircraft are not required to be type certificated in accordance with Title 14 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 23 – Airworthiness Standards: Normal, Utility, Acrobatic, and
Commuter Category Airplanes. Stability, handling, and stall characteristics for the amateur-built experimental
airplanes are different from general aviation airplanes that are type certificated under part 23. In addition to not
meeting the part 23 certifications standards, aircraft such as the Lancair are high-performance, hand-made (nonproduction)
aircraft. Each individual amateur built experimental aircraft possessing high wing loading and stall
speeds in excess of 61 knots can have unique handling, stability, and stall characteristics. These design
characteristics, while allowing for higher operational speeds, can expose pilots to additional risk during slowspeed
operations while close to the ground and with little time to recover from an unintentional stall.
Understanding these differences is critical for safe operation of such aircraft.
Recommended Action: The FAA recommends that pilots operating the amateur built experimental aircraft,
such as the Lancair amateur-built experimental airplanes do the following-
1. Review and thoroughly understand all available information regarding the slow-flight and stall
characteristics of their own Lancair prior to attempting to duplicate these maneuvers. In addition, obtain
specialized training from a Lancair recommended flight instructor who has had adequate training in the
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