Amateur-built VL-3 LSA accident near Boyd, Texas, May 30, 2010
On May 30, 2010 at about 1:45 pm local time, a amateur-built VL-3 LSA, registered N801GB, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Boyd, Texas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
***This report was modified on November 15, 2012. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report with revisions shown.*** The pilots’ failure to avoid and recover from the prohibited maneuver of aerodynamic spin during a training flight, for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the failure of the ballistic parachute rocket as a result of the manufacturer’s use of an inadequate thread sealant glue on the end caps of the rocket. Contributing to the severity of the occupants’ injuries was the separation of their shoulder belt attachment brackets at impact.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2010 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Boyd, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VL-3 LSA
- Registration
- N801GB · no longer on the register · serial VL-3-012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
***This report was modified on November 15, 2012. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report with revisions shown.*** The flight instructor and student pilot departed on an instructional flight in preparation for the student’s check ride for a pilot certificate. A witness reported seeing the airplane “low and slow” and said that the engine was “sputtering.” He added that the airplane then entered a “flat spin” before disappearing into trees. The airplane wreckage was located in a stand of trees surrounded by rolling fields. Fuel was present on site. The airplane was equipped with a ballistic parachute, and the parachute’s activation handle was pulled from its stowed position, consistent with an attempted activation by the pilot; however, it had not deployed. Examination revealed that the rocket motor that should have deployed the parachute housing failed because the manufacturer used an inadequate thread sealant glue, which dried up and became inelastic when installed on an airplane and exposed to normal operating conditions (including vibration). The end cap of the rocket would unscrew. As a result, the accident airplane’s parachute did not deploy. Corrective measures were developed and issued as a result of this accident. Examination also showed that, although both occupants’ lap belts remained attached to the airframe their shoulder straps had separated at the adhesive joint where the shoulder strap attachment bracket fastened to the turtle deck. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The engine was started and was run on both the left and right ignition systems.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
- Unknown or undetermined during maneuvering
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › (general) › (general) › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › Flight compartment equipment › Failure
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 230 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 14, 2010
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Denco Remodeling Group INC
The flight
- Departed from: T67 Hicks Airfield TX at 8:17 am
- Destination: T67 Hicks Airfield TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KAFW, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.