Amateur-built V-Strut accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 25, 2023
On July 25, 2023 at about 12:33 pm local time, a 2002 amateur-built V-Strut, registered N9549, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Wittman Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2023 · about 12:33 pm local time
- Place
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin · Wittman Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built V-Strut, built 2002
- Registration
- N9549 · registry record · serial 151
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff the pilot turned the airplane to avoid flying over the perpendicular runway. He reported that during the turn the airplane stopped climbing. The pilot aimed the airplane toward a field and attempted a forced landing. During the landing the airplane came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings. One witness stated that the airplane “looked sluggish,” with the nose of the airplane high. Several witnesses observed the left wing dip before the airplane descended below the tree line. Security video showed the left wing dropped and the airplane impacted the ground in a left-wing-low attitude. A postaccident examination of the engine, flight controls, and related systems revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. The splintered damage to the propeller blade was consistent with power and rotation at the time of impact. The pilot also reported that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the airplane at the time of the accident. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive for serious icing at glide power. However, investigators were not able to determine if a partial loss of engine power due to the accumulation of carburetor icing during the ground taxi may have resulted in the loss of climb performance after takeoff. Given the witness description and the footage captured by the security camera, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb and turn, which resulted in the exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent loss of control.
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 initial climb defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 213 hours in all; 0.4 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1.6 in the last 30 days; 144 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 16, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 100 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 7, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 675 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-40 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KOSH Oshkosh WI at 12:33 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from KOSH
Weather report (METAR): KOSH 251253Z 00000KT 4SM HZ CLR 22/19 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP169 T02170189
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 CEN23FA320.