# NTSB CEN26LA231: Bailey-Moyes Dragonfly, N3849A, Whitewater, WI, June 23, 2026

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: June 22, 2026, 19:15 local (Jun 23, 2026, 00:15 UTC)
- Place: Whitewater, WI
- Coordinates: 42.853554, -88.759811
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.8536&lon=-88.7598&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Glider tow event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/510)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal, 1 uninjured
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 203218
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN26LA231
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203218/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA231

## Preliminary report

On June 22, 2026, about 1915 central daylight time, a Bailey-Moyes Dragonfly, N3849A, was involved in an accident near Whitewater, Wisconsin. The pilot of the Dragonfly was not injured. The pilot of the hang glider in tow was fatally injured. The tow operation was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a glider tow flight. The Dragonfly, a tow plane with a hang glider in tow, took off and had reached an altitude of about 30 ft above the ground when the pilot of the tow plane felt something through the tow cable. When he looked back, he saw the hang glider pilot hanging from the base bar. The hang glider pilot fell to the ground and was fatally injured. The pilot of the tow plane released the glider, returned to the airport, and landed without further incident. The hang glider came to rest on airport property near the fallen pilot. An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the harness and carabiner used to attach the glider pilot and no obvious defects were found. The harness and carabiner were retained for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Glider tow event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/510) (defining event); cases with it: [Bailey-Moyes DRAGONFLY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/510/sequence.md?model=05901XC), [All aircraft, 45 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/510/sequence.md)
- [Takeoff: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330); cases with it: [Bailey-Moyes DRAGONFLY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md?model=05901XC), [All aircraft, 994 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N3849A](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3849A), registered now, S/N 001, built 1999 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BAILEY-MOYES DRAGONFLY
- Registry model: [Bailey-Moyes DRAGONFLY](https://openairdocs.org/model/bailey-moyes-dragonfly) (registry code 05901XC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rotax 912S series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912s-series) (registry code 55570, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 001
- Year built: 1999
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Glider tow, Part 91
- Airport: 5Y3, Gutzmer's Twin Oaks Airport, runway 18/36, 2,524 × 140 ft, grass/turf

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 10° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observed at: KMSN, 31 nm away
- METAR: METAR KMSN 222353Z 01010KT 10SM FEW050 SCT075 23/12 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP180 T02330122 10256 20222 53004=

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20260622007469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260622007469A), Jun 22, 2026: Bailey-Moyes DRAGONFLY, Whitewater, WI, No damage, 1 fatal. On June 22, 2026, at 14:18 CST, a fatal hang-gliding accident occurred at the Twin Oaks Airport (5Y3) in Whitewater, Wisconsin, involving a tow plane and a…

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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