Amateur-built Type 9400 accident near Van Alstyne, Texas, July 3, 2020
On July 3, 2020 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 2019 amateur-built Type 9400, registered N5539, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Van Alstyne, Texas (Baylie airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inflight loss of aileron control due to movement of a control connector.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2020 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Van Alstyne, Texas · Baylie · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Type 9400, built 2019
- Registration
- N5539 · registry record · serial 5539
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a test flight the pilot moved the control stick fully to the right to roll out of a turn, but the airplane did not respond, and the pilot suspected a failure in the aileron controls. The airplane eventually rolled wings level and the pilot elected to perform an emergency landing to a corn field, during which the airplane hit a tree and descended into the field. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged during impact. The pilot, who was also the builder of the airplane, examined the wreckage and determined that a rocking tube that connected the front cockpit control stick to the rear control stick had moved rearward about 1 inch. The aileron cables connected to a horn affixed to this tube. The rearward movement of the rocking tube was sufficient for the front part of the tube to come loose from its socket, which likely affected the control authority of the ailerons and resulted in the pilot’s inability to control the airplane. The pilot explained that there was nothing in the original design that prevented the rocking tube from sliding aft.
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 maneuvering defining event
- Loss of control in flight during enroute
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Control column section › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Aileron control system › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 921 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 836 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 9, 2019
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19.8 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,910 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cams Gnome (piston); 23 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 80°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:00 am from TKI, 15 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
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 13, 2022. 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 | Detailed Pilot Statement | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Email Examination Results | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Design Drawings | PDF, 2 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.