Aero Vodochody Aero Works L39C accident near Gadsden, Alabama, June 30, 2003
On June 30, 2003 at about 8:33 pm local time, a Aero Vodochody Aero Works L39C, registered N8125R, was destroyed in an accident near Gadsden, Alabama (Gadsden Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power during takeoff due to foreign object damage, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain during forced landing. Factors were the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane, his failure to secure the cargo/baggage door, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane prior to ejecting from the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2003 · about 8:33 pm local time
- Place
- Gadsden, Alabama · Gadsden Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aero Vodochody Aero Works L39C
- Registration
- N8125R · no longer on the register · serial 332449
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was departing with heavy rain and thunderstorms in the vicinity. During takeoff roll, a witness observed debris in the air around the airplane as soon as it lifted off the runway, then heard two "thump" noises from the engine followed by engine whining. The airplane continued airborne, then veered left and descended. The airplane rolled approximately 90 degrees, and the pilot ejected. Objects that had been stowed in the nose compartment of the airplane were found on the runway near the point where the airplane rotated. The left access panel for the nose compartment was found separated from the airframe with the upper hinges absent. The left panel displayed fire damage and extensive crush deformation with the fasteners on the panel lower edge attached. The right access panel for the nose compartment was found attached at the upper hinges to the upper nose compartment structure. The right panel and nose compartment structure displayed no fire damage and exhibited minor bending deformation and scratches in the paint. The fasteners on the right panel lower edge were absent. According to a chart published by Czech Jet, for single-seat ejection from the aircraft, the lowest minimum altitude for ejection with 90 degrees of bank is approximately 1,100 feet above the ground, and the lowest minimum altitude for ejection with zero degrees of bank is less than zero feet above the ground.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,813 hours in all; 654 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 933 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 5, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 10,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ivchenko AI-25 TL (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KGAD Gadsden AL at 8:33 pm
- Destination: KMKG Muskegon MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 6, 6,803 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 100 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from KGAD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.