Amateur-built WAGABOND accident near New Richmond, Wisconsin, October 7, 2020
On October 7, 2020 at about 1:00 pm local time, a 2002 amateur-built WAGABOND, registered N744K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near New Richmond, Wisconsin (New Richmond Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control on landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose-over. Contributing was the pilot’s lack of experience in the accident airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 2020 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- New Richmond, Wisconsin · New Richmond Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built WAGABOND, built 2002
- Registration
- N744K · registry record · serial J-4
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while landing from an introductory flight of his recently purchased airplane, the airplane bounced, and then when touching down again, immediately veered right. The airplane departed the right side of the runway into the grass, subsequently nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and the left wing strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 14 with wind calm. The pilot reported that he had not previously landed the make and model of the accident airplane.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,251 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 5,835 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 18, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 154 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 29, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 0200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 5,507 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 am from KRNH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN21LA012.