Brown STEEN SKYBOLT accident near Harrison, Ohio, August 22, 2009
On August 22, 2009, a Brown STEEN SKYBOLT, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N14BB, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Harrison, Ohio (Cincinnati West airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2009
- Place
- Harrison, Ohio · Cincinnati West · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Brown STEEN SKYBOLT, amateur-built
- Registration
- N14BB · no longer on the register · serial 101072
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness reported that after the airplane lifted off, it proceeded “straight-and-level” down the runway about 50 feet above ground level (agl). When the airplane reached the end of the runway, it pitched up into a “very steep” climb angle of about 45-50 degrees. The climb continued to approximately 200 feet agl, when the airplane entered a left turn to an easterly heading. However, the airplane continued banking to the left until it became inverted. At that point, the nose of the airplane was “pointed almost straight down. The plane continued to spin to the left until it disappeared from sight behind the fence.” The airplane impacted terrain southeast of the departure end of the runway. A post accident examination did not reveal any anomalies associated with a pre impact failure or malfunction of the airframe or engine. Fractures of the pilot control stick and mating control rod were due to overstress separation resulting from the impact sequence.
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
- Abrupt maneuver during takeoff
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 169 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 4, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1G6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I67 Harrison OH
- Destination: I67 Harrison OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,803 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from CVG, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.