Unknown or undetermined: Grumman G-164A Ag-Cat, N9709, fatal accident occurred on June 25, 2024, near Chamberino, New Mexico

 

• Location: Chamberino, New Mexico
• Accident Number: WPR24FA213 
• Date & Time: June 25, 2024, 13:15 Local 
• Registration: N9709 
• Aircraft: GRUMMAN ACFT ENG CORSCHWEIZER G-164A 
• Aircraft Damage: Destroyed 
• Defining Event: Unknown or undetermined 
• Injuries: 1 Fatal 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194549/pdf

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194549

On June 25, 2024, about 1315 mountain daylight time, a Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation-Schweizer G-164A, N9709, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Chamberino, New Mexico. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight.

Before the accident pilot departed on his first solo flight in the single-seat, turbopropellerequipped biplane, the chief pilot instructed him to depart to the north, climb to altitude, practice turns, climbs and descents, and then return to the departure airport. The chief pilot and the accident pilot were unable to communicate via radio and instead exchanged several text messages during the flight. The accident pilot sent a message stating, “it shakes a little bit, I don’t know if its normal,” to which the chief pilot replied, “Yeah it’s just a lot of horsepower on the front of the plane.” There were no further communications from the accident pilot. Shortly thereafter, the chief pilot observed smoke rising from the area where the pilot was operating. He departed in another airplane and subsequently located the accident site. 

Two witnesses saw the airplane flying low from north to south. Both witnesses reported that the engine sounded normal. One witness stated that he saw the airplane’s wings rocking left and right several times.

The airplane came to rest in sandy desert terrain and was largely consumed by a postimpact fire. No ground scars were observed near the accident site. All major components of the airplane were present, and impact damage was consistent with a right-wing-low, nose-down pitch attitude at the time of impact. Control continuity was established for the left and right lower wing flaperons from the cockpit to the control surfaces. Rudder control continuity was established from the cockpit to the rudder. Elevator control continuity could not be confirmed due to impact and thermal damage. Postaccident examination of the propeller revealed operational signatures consistent with low-to-moderate engine power. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed evidence consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact, with no indications of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. 

Review of the airplane’s maintenance records indicated that its most recent annual inspection was 13 months before the accident. The airplane was issued a special flight permit 20 days before the accident that was valid for 10 days and allowed the airplane to be ferried for repairs or maintenance. The chief pilot reported that the accident flight was the airplane’s first flight following maintenance and that the mechanic had not completed a logbook entry. The mechanic who performed the maintenance stated that she had started the airplane’s annual inspection but did not complete it, because the owner wanted to fly the airplane. When asked, the chief pilot stated that he made the decision to fly the airplane. Review of records provided by the operator after the accident revealed a new entry for an annual inspection, dated the day of the accident. 

Review of the pilot’s logbook indicated that, in the months before the accident, he received agricultural application training in several models of tailwheel-equipped airplanes, including a high performance, piston-engine-powered biplane; however, other than referring to “chair flights” performed before the accident flight, the operator did not provide additional information regarding the pilot’s transition training for the turbine-powered accident airplane. 

The orientation of the airplane at the accident site and the lack of ground scarring around the wreckage was consistent with the nose-low, near-vertical descent characteristic of an aerodynamic stall; however, the reason for the loss of control could not be determined based on the available information. Although examination of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies, the scope of the examination was limited due to the thermal damage sustained during the postcrash fire. Given the pilot’s unfamiliarity with the accident airplane, it is possible that attempting to communicate with the chief pilot via text message during the flight provided an additional distraction that may have contributed to the loss of control.

- Probable Cause: An aerodynamic stall and loss of control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

Unknown or undetermined: Erco 415-C Ercoupe, N3093H, fatal accident occurred on August 7, 2024, near Elkhart, Illinois

• Location: Elkhart, Illinois
• Accident Number: CEN24FA312
• Date & Time: August 7, 2024, 08:00 Local
• Registration: N3093H
• Aircraft: ENGINEERING & RESEARCH ERCOUPE 415-C
• Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
• Defining Event: Unknown or undetermined
• Injuries: 1 Fatal
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194886/pdf

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194886

On August 7, 2024, about 0800 central daylight time, an Ercoupe 415-C airplane, N3093H, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Elkhart, Illinois. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight

The pilot was on a multi-leg cross country flight after purchasing the airplane. A friend of the pilot stated that the pilot landed the airplane at an airport on the first evening of the flight and was planning to continue west the next morning. A fuel receipt confirmed that the pilot purchased 16.34 gallons of fuel at that airport.

Two days after the flight was supposed to arrive at the final destination, the friend reported the pilot missing. The airplane was not equipped with ADS-B, and it did not have a transponder, so flight track data was not available for the investigation. On the evening that the pilot was reported missing, the airplane wreckage was found in a soybean field about 87 nm west of the last known fuel stop.

The main wreckage exhibited heavy thermal damage to the engine compartment, cockpit, and fuselage. The investigation was unable to determine if the fire started before or after impact. Examination of the airframe indicated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

The signatures on the propeller blades indicated that the propeller was likely not rotating at the time of impact and the engine was likely not producing power. Due to thermal damage, rust, and corrosion, the engine and magnetos could not be functionally tested. The investigation was unable to determine whether the engine lost power or if the pilot shut down the engine before impact with the ground.

The header tank and left and right fuel tanks were burned and compromised, during the accident sequence, so the fuel amount at the time of the accident could not be verified. However, based upon the fuel receipts, the pilot likely filled the airplane to its full 24-gallon capacity before departing.

The airplane’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was not transmitting on emergency frequency 121.5 MHz at the time the airplane was located, nor was there evidence of an ELT transmitting in the area in the days before the airplane was located. The airplane was found about an hour after search and rescue was deployed and three days after the accident likely occurred.

The pilot was found 18 ft away from the main wreckage and there was a 2 ft wide by 18 ft long trail of vegetation displacement between the main wreckage and his location. The vegetation displacement indicated the pilot was likely alive after the accident and either walked or crawled away from the wreckage and was not ejected upon impact.

According to the pilot’s autopsy report, his cause of death was thermal burns. His autopsy identified thermal burns over 80% of his body surface, without evidence of smoke inhalation or airway thermal injury. The autopsy report noted there was no fatal traumatic injury or lethal natural disease found. Based on available evidence, the possibility cannot be excluded that the pilot might have survived long enough after the crash to be transported to a burn center had rescue not been delayed. Regardless, his burns were very likely to be fatal even with specialized care. A widely used clinical burn mortality prediction tool predicts little to no hope of survival for a 77-year-old patient with 80% body surface area burns.

The pilot’s autopsy identified cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease and an old area of stroke. This cardiovascular disease was associated with increased risk of an impairing or incapacitating cardiovascular event. There was no autopsy evidence that such an event occurred, but such an event does not leave reliable autopsy evidence if it occurs immediately before death. The old stroke affecting a small area of the brain may or may not have had significant symptoms. The pilot had spine disease and a history of left leg weakness that had affected his ability to operate rudder pedals and foot brakes. His leg weakness would not be expected to directly affect control of an airplane without foot-operated controls, such as the accident airplane. However, chronic pain may have performance-impairing effects. Postmortem toxicology results indicated that the pilot had used the medication gabapentin, which the pilot’s daughter indicated the pilot was taking for back and leg pain. The pilot might have been experiencing associated impairing medication effects such as psychomotor or cognitive slowing at the time of the accident, but the magnitude of any such effects could not reliably be determined from the measured gabapentin level alone. 

Based upon ground scars and damage to the airplane, it is likely that the pilot attempted a forced landing to the field. The investigation was unable to determine why the pilot performed an off-airport landing in the soybean field. The airplane’s lack of ADS-B and transponder, and the failure of the ELT to activate as designed, delayed the rescue response. However, it is unlikely that the timing of the rescue response affected the survivability of the accident.

- Probable Cause: An off-airport landing in a soybean field for reasons that could not be determined. Contributing to the severity of the pilot’s injuries and airplane damage was a fire that occurred at an unknown time.

Aerodynamic stall/spin: Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub fatal accident occurred on May 14, 2024, near Thurlow, Montana

• Location: Thurlow, Montana
• Accident Number: WPR24FA150 
• Date & Time: May 14, 2024, 07:20 Local 
• Registration: UNREG 
• Aircraft: Piper PA-18-150 
• Aircraft Damage: Substantial 
• Defining Event: Aerodynamic stall/spin 
• Injuries: 2 Fatal 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Other work use

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194259/pdf

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194259

On May 14, 2024, about 0720 mountain daylight time, an unregistered Piper PA-18-150 airplane was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Thurlow, Montana. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 other work use flight.

The pilot of the tandem seat, non-registered airplane and a passenger were conducting a predator control flight that targeted coyotes on private land. A wildlife control officer on the ground near the designated hunting area was communicating with the pilot via through cell phone and could hear gunfire when the call ended. The control officer attempted to call the pilot back after he expected the flight to have ended but did not determine a need to search for the airplane. A ranch hand located the wreckage later in the day. 

GPS data recovered from a handheld device found in the airplane wreckage showed that most of the flight was conducted at low altitudes. While engaging wildlife targets, the pilot slowed the airplane to as low as 36 kts groundspeed and performed multiple turns. During the last period of circling maneuvers the airplane slowed to about 25 kts groundspeed while about 113 ft above ground level (agl). The manufacturer’s Pilot’s Operating Handbook for a similar model of airplane indicated that the stall airspeed was 43 mph (37 kts).

Examination of the wreckage revealed the airplane impacted terrain in a nearly vertical, nosedown attitude while rotating clockwise. The wreckage signatures and very small debris area were consistent with an aerodynamic stall/spin. While maneuvering at low altitudes and low airspeed, the pilot likely exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin at an altitude too low for recovery. The pilot’s use of his cell phone, even with the aid of a hands-free device, likely distracted him from piloting duties.

The pilot’s toxicological testing revealed medications that had the potential to cause performance impairment and other medications that were commonly used to treat cold and allergy symptoms; however, toxicological testing did not establish that the pilot was impaired by the medication, nor that he was experiencing cold or allergy symptoms at the time of the accident.

- Probable Cause: The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction by his cell phone use while maneuvering.

Mast bumping: RotorWay Scorpion 133, N51017, fatal accident occurred on July 5, 2024, near Andale, Kansas

• Location: Andale, Kansas
• Accident Number: CEN24FA248
• Date & Time: July 5, 2024, 08:01 Local
• Registration: N51017
• Aircraft: Rotorway Scorpion 133
• Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
• Defining Event: Mast bumping
• Injuries: 1 Fatal
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194615/pdf

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194615

On July 05, 2024, about 0801 central daylight time, a Rotorway Scorpion 133 helicopter, N51017, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Andale, Kansas. The pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot departed from his residence on a local area flight to practice maneuvers in the experimental helicopter. A witness heard a loud “bang” and observed debris separating from the helicopter as it descended to the ground. Surveillance camera audio captured the sound of the helicopter’s experimental engine at a constant high-power setting, followed by a momentary reduction in power. Shortly thereafter, the audio captured multiple impacts and the helicopter came into view inverted, then descended to the ground. A postimpact fire consumed the wreckage.

Postaccident examination of the wreckage found that the aft tailboom had separated from the helicopter and was located about 150 yards from the main wreckage. An impact mark consistent with the shape of a main rotor blade was noted at the right side of the tubular structure at the separation area, consistent with a main rotor blade impact.

While no mechanical anomalies were found during the airframe and engine examination, the examination was limited due to extensive fire damage. 

The throttle control cable was found thermally separated from the collective control and the snap-out ball joint was not in the safety position; it was found separated from the carburetor. However, the surveillance audio of the engine’s reduction and increase of rpm before the main rotor’s impact with the tailboom are consistent with an intact throttle control and indicate that the throttle cable likely separated from the carburetor during the impact with terrain. 

The pilot did not hold a helicopter rating. His last solo endorsement was October 07, 2022, and was valid until January 05, 2023. The accident occurred 18 months after the expiration of the last solo endorsement, and the pilot was not authorized to conduct solo flight operations at the time of the accident. 

The pilot previously reported that he felt uncomfortable performing autorotations and requested additional training from a flight instructor; however, it was unknown what maneuvers he was performing during the accident flight. 

Teetering main rotor systems, such as the one on the accident helicopter, are particularly susceptible to main rotor mast bumping during the low-G conditions that result from abrupt forward (nose-down) cyclic inputs. Based on the available evidence the pilot likely applied abrupt control inputs while performing an unknown maneuver, which resulted in main rotor mast bumping during a low-G condition and subsequent main rotor blade contact with and subsequent separation of the tailboom.

- Probable Cause: The pilot’s abrupt control inputs, which resulted in a low-G condition, main rotor mast bumping, and subsequent severing of the tailboom by the main rotor blades.

Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign, N96HE, accident occurred on August 6, 2026, at Statesville Regional Airport (SVH/KSVH), Statesville, North Carolina

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this writing will be corrected when/if the NTSB preliminary report is released.

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N96HE

- History of Flight:
On August 6, 2026, at about 1819 local time, a Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign, N96HE, registered to Bravo Aviation LLC, sustained substantial damage following a runway excursion at Statesville Regional Airport (SVH/KSVH), Statesville, North Carolina. The two pilots were not injured. The flight originated from Charleston Municipal Airport (CHS/KCHS), Charleston, South Carolina, at 1743.

Preliminary ADS-B data shows that the jet was on a final approach speed of 121 knots (groundspeed) to runway 28.

Figure 1: ADS-B exchange end of track

The jet departed the left side of runway 28 and came to rest upright in the grass. The tire tracks in the grass leading to the final resting position shows that the jet's right side fuselage/wing struck the airport's windsock. Given this information, the jet likely departed the left side about 3300 ft down the 7000 ft runway.

The airplane sustained damage to the right side fuselage, right wing leading edge, and right main landing gear.

Figure 3: Landing sequence assumption given explanation above (via Google Earth Pro)

Statesville Regional Airport is a public airport located about 3 miles southwest of Statesville, North Carolina. The airport field elevation was 967.8 ft. The airport features a single asphalt/grooved runway 10/28 that is 7003 x 100 ft long (LDA 6453 feet).

There was reportedly a storm that passed by Statesville a few minutes before the event. Winds at 1815 LT were from 190° at 16 knots, gusting 26 knots.

- Weather:

METAR KSVH 062215Z AUTO 19016G26KT 10SM SCT100 SCT110 29/23 A3021 RMK AO2 T02880227

METAR KSVH 062235Z AUTO 18005KT 10SM -RA SCT014 SCT038 BKN100 25/23 A3020 RMK AO2 P0023 T02500232

Socata TBM700N (TBM850), N513GK, accident occurred on August 7, 2026, at Michael J. Smith Field (MRH/KMRH), Beaufort, North Carolina

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this writing will be corrected when/if the NTSB preliminary report is released.

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N513GK

- History of Flight:
On August 7, 2026, at about 1924 local time, a Socata TBM700N (TBM850), N513GK, registered to Oak Level Asset Management LLC, sustained substantial damage following a runway excursion/overrun at Michael J. Smith Field (MRH/KMRH), Beaufort, North Carolina. There were no reported injuries. The flight originated from Rocky Mount-Wilson Airport (RWI/KRWI), Rocky Mount, North Carolina, at 1858.

ADS-B data shows the airplane on final approach to runway 22.

- Weather:

METAR KMRH 072258Z AUTO 20009KT 10SM CLR 28/24 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP220 T02830244

METAR KMRH 072358Z AUTO 19009KT 10SM FEW017 28/24 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP217 T02780244 10306 20278 58009

PZL-104 Wilga 35A, N113AS, accident occurred on August 7, 2026, in Ukiah, California

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this writing will be corrected when/if the NTSB preliminary report is released.

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N113AS

- History of Flight:
On August 7, 2026, at about 1045 local time, a PZL-104 Wilga 35A, N113AS, registered to Cutterbilt Aero Services, sustained substantial damage following a forced landing in Ukiah, California. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight presumably originated from Corning Municipal Airport (0C4), Corning, California.

The airplane was originally seen in the vicinity of 0C4 at 0942. The airplane then proceeded southwest while in a gradual climb to 6,000 ft. At 1007, the airplane reached an area of mountainous terrain and disappeared from coverage. At 1027, the airplane reappeared again north of Ukiah, but was not giving out altitude readings. The last ADS-B data point was recorded at 1029, north of Ukiah.

Figure 1: Entire track

The airplane struck powerlines and terrain before coming to rest upright at the estimated cords 39.152194,-123.207224. There was no post crash fire. The right wing and right elevator were severed. The reminder of the airplane remained relatively intact. The three propeller blades remained attached to the propeller hub and were straight with little to no damage.

Figure 2: Area where airplane came to rest

Figure 3: Another view, note powerlines and poles

- Weather:

METAR KUKI 071656Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 23/11 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP151 T02330106

METAR KUKI 071756Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 28/09 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP147 T02780094 10278 20139 58005