Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Elkhart Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Elkhart, Indiana 46514
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 19:58 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The accident occurred during the amateur-built airplane's first flight. According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to determine the stall speed and handling characteristics of the airplane during the flight. After departure, the pilot circled the airport at an altitude of about 3,000 feet, and then requested a return for landing with air traffic control. A video of the accident showed the airplane in a steep descent toward a grassy area between the runway and taxiway. As the airplane neared the ground, the nose of the airplane oscillated pitching up, down, and up again prior to the nose dropping and the airplane impacting the ground. A witness reported the engine sounded normal during the flight and while the airplane was on final approach. A postaccident examination of the airframe did not reveal any failure or malfunction that would have resulted in the loss of control.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing approach.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/8/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1958 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Elkhart |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 46514 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 414228N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0855959W |
| Event Location Airport | Elkhart Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | EKM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 778 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1855 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EKM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 778 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.1 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 28490 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-AGL-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 8 2011 12:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N408K |
| NTSB Number | CEN10LA526 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Thompson |
| Aircraft Model | Kolb Twinstar Mark |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | M3X6-4-00083 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 24 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 0 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Donald S. Thompson |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Mishawaka |
| Aircraft Owner State | IN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 46544 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Donald S. Thompson |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Mishawaka |
| Operator State | IN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 46544 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Flight Test |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | EKM |
| Departure City | Elkhart |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1938 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | EKM |
| Destination City | Elkhart |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2011 4:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | andj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 36 |
| Runway Length | 4001 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |