- Date
- March 9, 2026, 18:00 local (Mar 10, 2026, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rock Crossing, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N104DGBrunner Donald G Kitfox
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Las Vegas FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260309001759A
- Case key
- 202631
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
An encounter with a downdraft while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
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 was maneuvering at a low altitude, searching for a suitable off-airport landing area. While in a left turn, the airplane encountered a downdraft that felt like “downward pressure” and was perceived as a loss of control. The pilot leveled the wings and applied full engine power; however, the airplane continued to descend, and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies prior to the accident that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N104DG
- Reported as
- Brunner Donald G Kitfox
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- LCS146
- Built
- 1995
- Airframe hours
- 650
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 24, 2026 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- SGU · Saint George, UT
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 48
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 31, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 960.8 total · 133.4 in this make and model · 824.8 as pilot in command · 9.9 in the last 90 days · 5.6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KSGU, 21 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KSGU 092356Z AUTO 27012KT 10SM CLR 23/M05 A2982 RMK AO2 SLP084 T02281050 10239 20133 56015
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 25, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.9 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.