- Date
- September 6, 2016, 08:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Frankfort, KY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2899XRainbow Sky Reach Bushcat
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160906016809A
- Case key
- 93965
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 exceedance of the airplane's critical angle-of-attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 2
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 he was performing a low approach with full flaps about 30 feet above the runway. He further reported that when the airplane was about 60 feet from the end of the runway, he started to add power to go-around, but the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. Subsequently, the nose of the airplane "suddenly" dropped, the airplane impacted the terrain, and stopped on the remaining runway surface. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was performing a low approach with full flaps about 30 feet above the runway. He further reported that when the airplane was about 60 feet from the end of the runway, he started to add power to go-around, but the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. Subsequently, the nose of the airplane "suddenly" dropped, the airplane impacted the terrain, and stopped on the remaining runway surface. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2899X
- Reported as
- Rainbow Sky Reach Bushcat (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CH162B
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 154.3
- Engine
- Rotax 912 ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 11, 2016
- Departed
- FFT · Frankfort, KY
- Destination
- 05KT · Frankfort, KY
- Airport
- 05KT · High Point Farm, runway 27, 600 × 50 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- None
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
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- January 16, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,568 total · 51.2 in this make and model · 2,116.6 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 0.3 in the last 30 days · 0.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KFFT, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 4, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 459 KB 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.