Capella Aircraft Corporation ( FW2TDXLS accident near Bartlesville, Oklahoma, September 30, 2015
On September 30, 2015 at about 2:35 pm local time, a 2008 Capella Aircraft Corporation ( FW2TDXLS, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N903AB, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Bartlesville, Oklahoma (Bartlesville Municipal 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 failure to maintain airplane control after takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2015 · about 2:35 pm local time
- Place
- Bartlesville, Oklahoma · Bartlesville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Capella Aircraft Corporation ( FW2TDXLS, built 2008, amateur-built
- Registration
- N903AB · no longer on the register · serial B12
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a personal flight in the experimental airplane. He reported that, during climbout, the right wing kept "coming up" and that the airplane was banking left. The pilot attempted to level the airplane but was unsuccessful. The airplane turned 360 degrees, and the airplane's nose started to drop. The pilot reduced the engine power and continued trying to level the airplane. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground on the left wing and landing gear and came to rest on its nose. An examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.
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 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
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,650.6 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,587.9 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 28, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7.2 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 4, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 2200 (piston); 7 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBVO Bartlesville OK at 2:35 pm
- Destination: KBVO Bartlesville OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; ovct at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KBVO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 22, 2016. 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 (Owner) | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Pilot) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - 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.