N141ST

Substantial
Minor

NTBK Wag Aero Sport S/N: ST-001-08

Accident Details

Date
Thursday, August 21, 2008
NTSB Number
CHI08CA261
Location
Oxford, IA
Event ID
20080919X01502
Coordinates
41.753055, -91.723335
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
1
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot misjudged his approach path which resulted in insufficient altitude and the subsequent failure to maintain clearance with the trees. Contributing to the accident were the trees and the dusk lighting conditions.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
NTBK
Serial Number
ST-001-08
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
2008
Model / ICAO
Wag Aero Sport FK9
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1
Seats
2
FAA Model
WAG-AERO SPORT TRAIN

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
BEEGHLY JAMES H L
Address
718 CAMP CARDINAL BLVD
City
CORALVILLE
State / Zip Code
IA 52241-2893
Country
United States

Analysis

On August 20, 2008, at 2015 central daylight time, an amateur built NTBK LLC Wag Aero Sport Trainer, N141ST, collided with the scrub trees while landing on runway 15 at the Green Castle Airport, a private airstrip, in Oxford, Iowa. The private pilot received minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and firewall. The personal flight was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from the Green Castle Airport at 1940.

The pilot reported the total runway length is 4,800 feet, the northern 1,400 feet of which is grass and the southern 2,400 feet is asphalt. He reported he was practicing touch and go landings on the grass portion of the runway when the accident occurred. The pilot reported he made three touch and go landings, and decided to make one more before it got too dark. He stated that the final approach descent path appeared to be above the low-lying trees. He stated that he did not realize he was too low until he felt a "sharp blow" to the airplane and the airplane rotated to the right descending to the ground. The pilot reported that he should have realized that "...landing as close to the trees as I intended was unsafe" when the runway lights came on while he was on final approach.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI08CA261