Amateur-built JA30 SUPERSTOL accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 24, 2018
On July 24, 2018 at about 3:03 pm local time, a 2015 amateur-built JA30 SUPERSTOL, registered N45FT, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Wittman Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2018 · about 3:03 pm local time
- Place
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin · Wittman Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built JA30 SUPERSTOL, built 2015
- Registration
- N45FT · no longer on the register · serial JA263-03-12
- 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, during the initial climb after takeoff, the flight controls got mushy, and the airplane began to sink. The pilot added flaps and verified engine throttle position; however, the airplane continued to sink, and the flight controls continued to feel mushy. The pilot pushed the airplane's nose forward and retracted the flaps. The airplane descended and hit a ditch and gravel road before coming to rest adjacent to a chain-link fence. Examination of the airplane and related systems revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot's statement, along with the video of the accident, revealed that the ;ilot did not maintain an adequate airspeed during the initial climb and should have climbed more shallowly. Due to the low airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, the airplane aerodynamically stalled.
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 takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 319 hours in all; 113.1 in this make and model; 15.3 in the last 90 days; 6.9 in the last 30 days; 253.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 25, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 103 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 2, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 103 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OSH Oshkosh WI at 3:03 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KOSH, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 23, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Report Photographs | 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.