Amateur-built LOEHLE 5151 MUSTANG accident near Vernal, Utah, October 2, 2024
On October 2, 2024 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 2020 amateur-built LOEHLE 5151 MUSTANG, registered N579LZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Vernal, Utah (Vernal Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing which result in the left landing gear collapsing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 2024 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Vernal, Utah · Vernal Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LOEHLE 5151 MUSTANG, built 2020
- Registration
- N579LZ · no longer on the register · serial LMZ-001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while landing, the airplane “bounced”, and he attempted to abort the landing and go-around. During the attempted go-around, the pilot was unable to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. The airplane subsequently landed hard, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,253 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 1,184 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 8, 2024; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 895 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582DCDI-99 (piston); 1 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 57.5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 80°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 13, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.