Amateur-built SKYBOLT accident near Stuttgart, Arkansas, May 30, 2012
On May 30, 2012, a amateur-built SKYBOLT, registered N24EB, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Stuttgart, Arkansas (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in the airplane’s overweight takeoff from an airstrip with a high density altitude and subsequent collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2012
- Place
- Stuttgart, Arkansas · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SKYBOLT
- Registration
- N24EB · registry record · serial 2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and a passenger departed in an experimental amateur-built airplane from a private airstrip with a higher-than-standard density altitude. The pilot was unable to maintain a positive rate of climb during the takeoff and turned back toward the airport. The airplane subsequently impacted rough terrain, and a postimpact ground fire occurred. Postaccident calculations revealed that the airplane’s gross weight for the accident flight exceeded its maximum gross weight. The pilot reported no airplane mechanical malfunctions, and postaccident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Loss of lift during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Maximum weight › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weight/balance calculations › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 7,200 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 7,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 15, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 325 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 25, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Stuttgart AR
- Destination: SGT Stuttgart AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PBF, 31 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.