- Date
- September 11, 2025, 12:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Chehalis, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N311TSThomas Graham Teenie Two
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20250911018069A
- Case key
- 202059
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 improper decision to take off with the airplane over its maximum allowable gross weight, which degraded its climb performance and led to a subsequent off airport landing.
Findings · 6
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 filled his fuel tanks to full, for the first time since purchasing the airplane, to conduct a flight test to calculate fuel burn rate. A weight and balance calculation provided by the pilot showed that the airplane was over the maximum gross weight by about 25 lbs. During takeoff initial climb, he observed that the airplane was not climbing as he expected and realized he would not be able to clear the trees or powerlines ahead of his position. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a grass covered field, however, during the approach, he observed that the landing distance available was too short and landed with a side slip to arrest the airplane’s forward movement. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to wings and fuselage. The pilot that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N311TS
- Reported as
- Thomas Graham Teenie Two
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 16-215
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 93.9
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1600 Dual Port, 60 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 1, 2025
- Departed
- CLS · Chehalis, WA
- Airport
- CLS · Chehalis-Centralia, runway 16/34, 5,000 × 140 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 55
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 3, 2025
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 50.8 total · 5.2 in this make and model · 11 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 17.8 in the last 30 days · 3.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KCLS, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KCLS 111915Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC016 17/15 A3005 RMK AO2=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 5, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 17.3 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.