- Date
- October 12, 2025, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Springfield, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N319WDRans S20
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20251012019339A
- Case key
- 201839
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 directional control during the takeoff with a right crosswind.
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
The pilot reported that while taking off from runway 17, the airplane immediately yawed right as soon as the tail came up. The pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder; however, the airplane drifted to the left and exited the left side of the runway. During the runway excursion, the right landing gear struck a berm. The airplane’s right wing impacted the ground, and the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported the winds were from 260° at 16 knots and gusting to 24 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N319WD
- Reported as
- Rans S20
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 06170073
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 315
- Engine
- Rotax 915is, 141 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- West Desert Flight LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 12, 2025
- Destination
- UT9 · Fairfield, UT
- Airport
- 8V7 · Springfield Muni, runway 17, 5,000 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 28, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,337 total · 1,724 in this make and model · 4,250 as pilot in command · 162 in the last 90 days · 59 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 13 knots
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- KSPD, 11 nm away
- METAR
- KSPD 121656Z AUTO 22013KT 24/08 A2976 RMK AO1 SLP013 T02440078=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 13, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.