Amateur-built AIRBIKE RX40 accident near Derby, Kansas, March 31, 2015
On March 31, 2015 at about 11:15 pm local time, a 1998 amateur-built AIRBIKE RX40, registered N61453, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Derby, Kansas (Blue Sky Ranch And Aerodrome airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions during the landing, which resulted in a hard landing and separation of the left main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2015 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Derby, Kansas · Blue Sky Ranch And Aerodrome · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AIRBIKE RX40, built 1998
- Registration
- N61453 · registry record · serial 0001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had conducted a local pleasure flight and returned to a private grass airfield. He reported the wind was from the southeast and gusting 8-10 mph. He selected runway 17 for the landing and held the left wing down, to compensate for the crosswind. He reported that the gusty wind allowed the airplane to bounce in the air and then descend. The left landing gear impacted the grass runway and the wheel separated from the airplane. The airplane then traveled about 15 feet down the runway, before the left landing gear dug into the ground. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,188 hours in all; 1,012 in this make and model; 1,188 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 14, 2013
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,012.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 27, 2014
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier/Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 35KS Derby KS
- Destination: 35KS Derby KS
- Runway 17, 1,320 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:30 pm from ICT, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 18, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1 - Main Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | 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.
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.