- Date
- February 19, 2024, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Laotto, IN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N358AKCub Crafters CCX-2000
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (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
- Case key
- 193820
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 improper decision to continue an approach with his vision obscured by sun glare, which resulted in a collision with a tree.
Findings · 2
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
The pilot was on final approach to a private grass airstrip. He stated that his vision was obscured due to the sun glaring off a nearby pond. The airplane drifted left of the intended touchdown point and struck a small tree. The pilot was unable to see the tree in time to avoid the collision. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he should have not continued the approach with obscured vision.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N358AK
- Reported as
- Cub Crafters CCX-2000 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CCX-2000-0137
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 152
- Engine
- Lycoming CC363i, 186 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 19, 2023
- Departed
- C62 · Kendallville, IN
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 51
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 203 total · 114 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.16 inHg
- Observed at
- KASW, 7 nm away
- METAR
- KASW 202215Z AUTO 19004KT 10SM CLR 11/M02 A3016 RMK AO2 T01121025
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 29, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.2 MB in all.