- Date
- April 25, 2026, 19:30 local (Apr 26, 2026, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hartville, MO · FAA accident map
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N422TJust JA-30
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 15, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260425013019A
- Case key
- 202946
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 a power line after takeoff.
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 had just departed in the tailwheel equipped STOL (short takeoff and landing) airplane from his private rural grass airstrip about 25 minutes before sunset. The airplane collided with a power line about 500 yards south of the runway, impacted terrain, and came to rest inverted. A postimpact fire consumed a majority of the airplane. A witness stated that the airplane was flying normally before the power line collision. Aerial marker balls were not installed on the power line, nor were they required to be. The pilot stated that he did not remember the accident sequence due to his serious injuries, but before the accident, the wind was about 4 mph from the south and the density altitude was high. Prior to the accident flight, he completed multiple flights and landings in the airplane. Since this grass airstrip was on his property, he was aware of the power lines and frequently flew over them during takeoff and landing. The reason for the collision with the power line could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N422T
- Reported as
- Just JA-30 (SuperSTOL)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JA373-04-14
- Built
- 2016
- Engine
- Rotax Aircraft Engines 912 ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- pvt, runway 18/36, 1,100 × 50 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 47
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 16 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.71 inHg
- Observed at
- KSGF, 41 nm away
- METAR
- SPECI KSGF 270043Z 16016G24KT 10SM VCTS FEW050 23/17 A2971 RMK AO2 PK WND 14027/2354 LTG DSNT W AND NW T02330167
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 15, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.9 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.