Kolb MARK III accident near Jonesville, Louisiana, July 1, 2014
On July 1, 2014 at about 1:00 am local time, a Kolb MARK III, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Jonesville, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The noncertificated pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2014 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Jonesville, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kolb MARK III, amateur-built
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial UNKNOWN
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner of the light-sport airplane reported that the noncertificated pilot was taking aerial photographs during the accident flight. A witness reported observing the airplane flying low in a turn and then losing sight of the airplane as it disappeared behind trees. He regained sight of the airplane as it climbed back up above the trees and then heard the engine rev several times before the airplane disappeared behind the trees again. Witness marks and impact damage were consistent with the airplane striking a treetop before colliding with the ground. An examination of the airplane, engine, and related systems revealed no preimpact anomalies.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering 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 › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 1 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: La Delta Plant. LA
- Destination: La Delta Plant. LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on May 11, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record of Telephone Conversation – FAA Inspector Benedetto | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Telephone Conversation – Witness | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 - Main Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of Catahoula Parish) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 2 - Wing (Photo Courtesy of Catahoula Parish) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 3 - Empennage (Photo Courtesy of Catahoula Parish) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 4 - Fuselage (Photo Courtesy of Catahoula Parish) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 5 - Empennage (Photo Courtesy of Catahoula Parish) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under UNREG 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.