Amateur-built SD-1A accident near Juneau, Wisconsin, June 7, 2017
On June 7, 2017 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1977 amateur-built SD-1A, registered N31313, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Juneau, Wisconsin (Dodge County 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s difficulty controlling the airplane due to his incorrect reinstallation of the wings, which led to a bounced precautionary landing. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the pilot and the mechanic to verify the wings’ angle of incidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2017 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Juneau, Wisconsin · Dodge County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SD-1A, built 1977
- Registration
- N31313 · no longer on the register · serial 7
- 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, immediately after takeoff, the left wing felt "extremely heavy" and required "an exceptional amount of right aileron" to maintain level flight. During the precautionary landing, the airplane bounced, turned left, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The pilot had recently reinstalled the wings; however, he made no measurements during the reinstallation, and the mechanic who signed off on the condition inspection did not confirm the wings' angle of incidence. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the angle of incidence was incorrect. Given this was the first flight since the reinstallation of the wings, it is likely the incorrect angle of incidence led to the pilot's difficulty controlling the airplane.
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 takeoff defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › Flight surfaces (wing) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 388.2 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 4.6 in the last 90 days; 4.6 in the last 30 days; 120.5 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 6, 2016
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 26, 2017; 197 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors O-200G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UNU Juneau WI at 2:00 pm
- Destination: UNU Juneau WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,027 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 pm from KUNU
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 March 6, 2018. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector | 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.