- Date
- July 19, 2018, 14:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Chateaugay, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N791YEApollo Fox
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area overshoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180719017389A
- Case key
- 98325
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 trees during a go-around.
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 reported that, while landing on a 1,300-ft-long private grass airstrip, the airplane floated and would not settle in the grass. Subsequently, he performed a go-around, but the airplane struck trees beyond the departure end of the runway and then impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 23 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 5 knots. The pilot stated that the weather conditions reported at the departure airport about 18 miles to the east, about the time of the accident, were wind from 300° at 3 to 7 knots. The pilot landed to the east.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, while landing on a 1300 ft private grass airstrip, the airplane floated. He performed a go-around, but the airplane struck the trees that were beyond the departure end of the runway and then impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 23 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 5 knots. The pilot reported that the weather at the departure airport about 18 miles to the east, about the time of the accident was, wind 300° at 3 to 7 knots. The pilot landed to the east.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N791YE
- Reported as
- Apollo Fox
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 00005
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 1,068
- Engine
- Rotax 912uls, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 2018
- Departed
- MAL · Malone, NY
- Destination
- Chateaugay, NY
- Airport
- runway East, 1,300 × 50 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Electronic primary flight display, Airframe parachute
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 28, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 665 total · 13 in this make and model · 25 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Observed at
- CWIT, 23 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 12, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.