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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2018 · about 10:43 am local time
- Place
- Houghton Lake, Michigan · Houghton Lake State · 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 |
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 CEN18LA280.