Aero Adventure Aventura UL accident near Garden Ridge, Texas, April 4, 2017
On April 4, 2017, a 1997 Aero Adventure Aventura UL, registered N580TX, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern crosswind) near Garden Ridge, Texas (Kitty Hawk Flying Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2017
- Place
- Garden Ridge, Texas · Kitty Hawk Flying Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Adventure Aventura UL, built 1997
- Registration
- N580TX · registry record · serial UL0016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing a local flight in the airport traffic pattern. The engine began to "sputter" while the amphibian airplane was about 300 ft above the ground on the crosswind leg for the runway. The engine subsequently lost total power, and the propeller stopped rotating. The pilot conducted a forced landing in a nearby clearing among trees, and the hull and both wings were substantially damaged. The fuel system had ample fuel, and the fuel shutoff valve was open. The fuel filter assembly and both carburetors contained fuel. The postaccident examination and successful engine test run revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. Although the weather conditions were conducive for the formation of carburetor ice, the airplane's engine was equipped with carburetors with a variable-venturi design that are not generally prone to carburetor icing.
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 engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern crosswind) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 16,000 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 15, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 480 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 7, 2016; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth 3202 (piston); 180 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TS67 Garden Ridge TX
- Destination: TS67 Garden Ridge TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 700 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.69 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 8, 2020. 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, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Conversation (Frank Fortmann) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Special Airwothiness Information Bulletin No. CE-09-35 Carburetor Icing Prevention | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Hirth 3202 Engine Manual (Excerpts) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Carburetor Icing Article | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | 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.