Amateur-built SKY BOLT accident near Mocksville, North Carolina, June 23, 1998
On June 23, 1998 at about 4:30 pm local time, a amateur-built SKY BOLT, registered N2951S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mocksville, North Carolina (Twin Lakes Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during landing roll when the front seat occupant inadvertently got his foot 'jammed' between the strut bungee and the rudder/brake peddle. A factor was the inadequate design of the rudder/brake peddle system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 1998 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mocksville, North Carolina · Twin Lakes Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SKY BOLT
- Registration
- N2951S · no longer on the register · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the FAA, during landing on runway 09, the aircraft veered off the right side of the runway and nosed over. The inspector found a 300 foot skid mark made by the left main landing gear, and a 150 foot skid mark, made by the right main landing gear. The aircraft received substantial damage to the propeller, rudder, and left wing. On the landing roll, the pilot applied rudder to get the airplane onto the runway centerline, the foot of the occupant in the front seat was pressed onto the opposite brake peddle causing the airplane to react slowly. The harder the pilot applied the rudder, the harder the opposite brake was actuated. As the airplane started to depart the runway, the pilot said he applied left brake. Inertia caused the airplane to nose over. The pilot shut the airplane down and he and the passenger egressed from the inverted airplane.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 26,000 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 95 in the last 30 days; 26,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 52 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 13, 1997; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO540-B4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8A7 at 3:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,950 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:46 pm from INT, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N2951S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.