Amateur-built NIEUPORT 11 accident near Gardner, Kansas, June 18, 2016
On June 18, 2016 at about 1:40 am local time, a 1985 amateur-built NIEUPORT 11, registered N124TG, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern crosswind) near Gardner, Kansas (Gardner Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's diverted attention during the approach for the precautionary landing, which resulted in low airspeed, an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the control system vibration and the airplane’s lack of a stall warning system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 2016 · about 1:40 am local time
- Place
- Gardner, Kansas · Gardner Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built NIEUPORT 11, built 1985
- Registration
- N124TG · registry record · serial 63
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot stated that a preflight inspection of his experimental, amateur-built airplane revealed no discrepancies. After takeoff, the pilot completed two circuits around the airport traffic pattern with "no problems." During the upwind leg of the third circuit, he "noticed some vibration" and saw that the horizontal stabilizer was shaking/vibrating. The pilot began an approach for a precautionary landing, but during the base-to-final turn of the approach, the airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall. The pilot stated that he did not lose elevator control authority during the last legs of the flight but that he was "distracted" by a fear that parts may be separating from the airplane. The airplane, which was built from plans based upon a 100-year old design, was not equipped with a stall warning system. The pilot further reported that the flight control vibration was likely the result of the control cable that linked the two elevators in a "Y" configuration. He stated that the single control cable was not supported for "a number of feet" through guides/fairleads, which can make the elevators "flutter."
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during approach (VFR pattern crosswind) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern base)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern base)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Malfunction
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Design
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Navigation system › Stall warning system › Not installed/available
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 340 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 315 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 17, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 579.2 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 14, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 720 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagon (piston); 582 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K34 Gardner KS at 1:15 am
- Destination: K34 Gardner KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,237 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN16LA230.