- Date
- February 24, 2026, 09:48 local (15:48 UTC)
- Place
- Appleton, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N46TBVans RV-12IS
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 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
- 20260224010959A
- Case key
- 202503
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 proper airspeed during landing and exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with the runway. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Findings · 5
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 flight instructor reported that during the landing, the wind shifted from a headwind and the airspeed dropped. He directed the pilot receiving instruction to increase engine power; however, the pilot’s response was delayed. The flight instructor attempted to correct by adding engine power, but the airplane stalled and landed hard. During the hard landing, the left wing struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and lift strut. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot receiving instruction was landing the airplane on runway 12 with wind from 180° at 15 knots, gusting to 22 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46TB
- Reported as
- Vans RV-12IS
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12205
- Built
- 2025
- Airframe hours
- 60
- Engine
- Rotax 912is Sport, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilotsmith Flight Academy, doing business as Cavu Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- Fly Barely LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- UNU · Juneau, WI
- Destination
- ATW · Appleton, WI
- Airport
- ATW · Appleton International, runway 12, 6,502 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 2
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 16, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 59 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 300 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.64 inHg
- Observed at
- KATW
- METAR
- ATW 241545Z 18015G22KT 10SM BKN120 M03/M09 A2964=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2026, 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.