- Date
- July 27, 2021, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Floyds Knobs, IN
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N852SKStephen L Kruer Superstol
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210727012009A
- Case key
- 103571
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the trees during a go-around.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During the final approach the pilot thought that he was too high to land safely, so he executed a go-around. During the climb out, the pilot felt a thump and the airplane turned about 90° and “mushed into the tree tops.” The airplane subsequently nosed into the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N852SK
- Reported as
- Stephen L Kruer Superstol
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JA430-01-15
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 91
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kruer Stephen L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 5, 2021 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- I83 · Salem, IN
- Destination
- PRIV · Floyds Knob, IN
- Airport
- PRIV · Private, runway PRIVATE, 600 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 27, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 478 total · 88 in this make and model · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KSDF, 12 nm away
- METAR
- KSDF 271456Z 36004KT 10SM CLR 31/18 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP169 T03060178 50006
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 9, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.