Amateur-built Bade-E accident near Escanaba, Michigan, August 2, 2018
On August 2, 2018 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 2014 amateur-built Bade-E, registered N142NV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Escanaba, Michigan (Delta 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 loss of control during the landing rollout for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence, which resulted in a ground loop and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2018 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Escanaba, Michigan · Delta 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 Bade-E, built 2014
- Registration
- N142NV · registry record · serial GDC1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the experimental, amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry runway. During the rollout, the airplane veered to the left when the tailwheel was lowered to the runway. Both wingtips contacted the runway surface; the airplane ground looped and exited the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the forward section of the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right steering cable chain was broken and hanging from the tailwheel. It could not be determined if the cable broke before or during the accident sequence.
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 on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 55 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 2, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A80 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ESC Escanaba MI at 11:30 pm
- Destination: ESC Escanaba MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 5,016 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from ESC
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.
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.