- Date
- May 26, 2024, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Franktown, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N983SBBrant T Phillips Super Cub EXP
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- FAA report
- 20240526005829A
- Case key
- 194328
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 aircraft control during final approach and attempted go-around after encountering a sudden windshear.
Findings · 4
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 attempting to land at his private airstrip when the airplane encountered an unexpected “windshear” and a greater than anticipated descent rate. The pilot attempted a go-around; however, the airplane was unable to sufficiently climb before it impacted a fence pole adjacent to the grass airstrip. The airplane came to rest upright and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left elevator control surface. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that he should have utilized better energy management given the wind conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N983SB
- Reported as
- Brant T Phillips Super Cub EXP
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Built
- 2024
- Airframe hours
- 55.1
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- COS · Colorado Springs, CO
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- PVT · Pvt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Onboard weather
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 24, 2023
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,184 total · 27 in this make and model · 1,169 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 19 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KAPA, 11 nm away
- METAR
- KAPA 261653Z 33017G27KT 10SM FEW060 FEW180 17/M02 A2996 RMK AO2 PK WND 33031/1625 SLP109 T01671022
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 2, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.