- Date
- July 3, 2026, 14:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Saratoga, WY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N927MDDean J Irvin KFA Safari XL
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 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
- Case key
- 203340
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 directional control during the landing roll in gusting wind conditions.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll, the left wing was lifted by a wind gust, and the airplane began to veer to the left. Despite the pilot’s left flaperon input and application of right rudder, the airplane ground looped to the left. Subsequently, the right wing contacted the runway and the landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 05, with the winds from 330° at 3 knots gusting 14 Knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N927MD
- Reported as
- Dean J Irvin KFA Safari XL
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 092-07-24
- Built
- 2024
- Airframe hours
- 86.7
- Engine
- Rotax 916iS A, 160 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 2, 2026 · 12.3 hours before
- Departed
- SGU · St. George, UT
- Destination
- KSAA · Saratoga, WY
- Airport
- SAA · Shivley Field Airport, runway 05, 8,801 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 22, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,914 total · 99 in this make and model · 1,767 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 3 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft unknown
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.24 inHg
- Observed at
- KSAA
- METAR
- METAR KSAA 032015Z AUTO 33003G14KT 10SM BKN110 23/M04 A3024 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 8, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.