Trick Trikes STSS accident near Holden, Missouri, November 11, 2020
On November 11, 2020 at about 10:50 pm local time, a 2009 Trick Trikes STSS (weight-shift aircraft), registered N5152E, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Holden, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The noncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2020 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Holden, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Trick Trikes STSS, built 2009
- Registration
- N5152E · no longer on the register · serial STSS002
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness reported that after takeoff, the aircraft “turned sharply” and then “dipped low.” The aircraft impacted a tree line and came to rest in a harvested cornfield. A postimpact fire consumed the fabric sail (wing). Multiple structural components were separated consistent with impact forces. The engine was separated from the airframe and located with the wreckage. A postaccident examination did not identify any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction; however, the extent of the impact damage and the postimpact fire limited the scope of the examination. The pilot did not hold a pilot certificate as required by regulations and the aircraft operating limitations. In addition, although the noncertificated pilot had experience flying powered parachutes and trikes, he did not have any experience in the make/model trike involved in the accident. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the noncertificated pilot’s loss of aircraft control during takeoff due to a lack of experience in the aircraft make/model.
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 in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Suzuki (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Holden MO at 10:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from RCM, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on June 22, 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 | Witness Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Statement -- Previous Aircraft Owner | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Statement -- Pilot's Son-in-law | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | FAA Operating Limitations | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | FAA Regulation -- Sport Pilots (14CFR61.303) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Memorandum of Autopsy | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N5152E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.