- Date
- August 20, 2008, 20:15 local (Aug 21, 2008, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Oxford, IA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N141STNtbk Wag Aero Sport
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- DSM FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080820847839A
- Case key
- 68913
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 misjudged his approach path which resulted in insufficient altitude and the subsequent failure to maintain clearance with the trees. Contributing to the accident were the trees and the dusk lighting conditions.
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 reported that the total runway length is 4,800 feet, the northern 1,400 feet of which is grass and the southern 2,400 feet is asphalt. He reported that he was practicing touch and go landings on the grass portion of the runway when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that he made three touch and go landings, and decided to make one more before it got too dark. He stated that the final approach descent path appeared to be above the low-lying trees. He stated that he did not realize he was too low until he felt a "sharp blow" to the airplane and the airplane rotated to the right descending to the ground. The pilot reported that he should have realized that "...landing as close to the trees as I intended was unsafe" when the runway lights came on while he was on final approach.
Factual narrative
On August 20, 2008, at 2015 central daylight time, an amateur built NTBK LLC Wag Aero Sport Trainer, N141ST, collided with the scrub trees while landing on runway 15 at the Green Castle Airport, a private airstrip, in Oxford, Iowa. The private pilot received minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and firewall. The personal flight was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from the Green Castle Airport at 1940. The pilot reported the total runway length is 4,800 feet, the northern 1,400 feet of which is grass and the southern 2,400 feet is asphalt. He reported he was practicing touch and go landings on the grass portion of the runway when the accident occurred. The pilot reported he made three touch and go landings, and decided to make one more before it got too dark. He stated that the final approach descent path appeared to be above the low-lying trees. He stated that he did not realize he was too low until he felt a "sharp blow" to the airplane and the airplane rotated to the right descending to the ground. The pilot reported that he should have realized that "...landing as close to the trees as I intended was unsafe" when the runway lights came on while he was on final approach.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N141ST
- Reported as
- Ntbk Wag Aero Sport
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- ST-001-08
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James H. Beeghly
- Registered owner
- Ntbk LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- IA24 · Oxford, IA
- Destination
- IA24 · Oxford, IA
- Airport
- IA24 · Green Castle, runway 15
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 204 total · 3 in this make and model · 140 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.