Best Off SKYRANGER accident near Houghton Lake, Michigan, July 8, 2018
On July 8, 2018 at about 10:43 am local time, a 2002 Best Off SKYRANGER, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N4329R, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Houghton Lake, Michigan (Houghton Lake State airport). 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
A partial loss of engine power during takeoff for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2018 · about 10:43 am local time · cases in 2018
- Place
- Houghton Lake, Michigan · Houghton Lake State · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Best Off SKYRANGER No Series, built 2002, amateur-built · all SKYRANGERs on the register
- Registration
- N4329R · registry record · serial 481
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a local private flight when the airplane had a sudden loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. The pilot reported that after an uneventful takeoff, as the airplane climbed through 150 ft above ground level, the engine speed rapidly decreased from 6,200 rpm to 4,700 rpm. Despite the pilot's corrective actions, the engine continued to operate at a decreased power setting and the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. The pilot reported that there were trees ahead of the airplane's flight path, so he turned into the wind and maneuvered to land on a nearby golf course fairway. The pilot stated that the airplane had insufficient altitude and airspeed to flare normally, which resulted in a hard landing and substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The pilot reported that he did not observe any anomalies during his preflight inspection or his before-takeoff engine runup, and that the fuel tank contained about 12 gallons of automotive fuel. A postaccident engine examination did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation during the flight. Although the atmospheric conditions were conducive for the formation of carburetor icing, the airplane's engine was equipped with carburetors with a variable-venturi design that are generally not prone to carburetor icing. Therefore, the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined with the available evidence.
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 (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 45.3 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 12 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 5, 2018
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 292.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 7, 2018; 8.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 293 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,750 ft by 104 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from HTL, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on March 31, 2021. 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 | Memorandum of Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Conversation (FAA Inspector) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Saib CE-09-35 Carb Icing Prevention | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Carburetor Icing Article | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photo | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N4329R on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Best Off SKYRANGER 6 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Best Off 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rotax 582 62 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Houghton Lake State Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Michigan 2,107 since 1982 · 230 in the last ten years
- Michigan 7,230 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN18LA280.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.