Kolb Firestar SS accident near Lodi, Wisconsin, May 29, 2023
On May 29, 2023 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 2007 Kolb Firestar SS, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N994TA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Lodi, Wisconsin (Lodi Lakeland 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 pilot’s failure to maintain control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2023 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lodi, Wisconsin · Lodi Lakeland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kolb Firestar SS, built 2007, amateur-built
- Registration
- N994TA · registry record · serial 456
- 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 during takeoff from a grass runway, a sudden wind gust from the rear caused the airplane to weathervane to the right and lose lift. The pilot was unable to correct for the gust before the airplane impacted the ground and nosed over. Both wings and the empennage were substantially damage during the nose over. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was taking off on runway 27 with wind from 150° at 6 knots.
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
- Ground collision during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,226 hours in all; 108 in this make and model; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 108 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 28, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth 3203 (piston); 108 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 1,900 ft by 105 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 am from KDLL, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KDLL 291555Z AUTO 15006KT 10SM CLR 25/05 A3006 RMK AO2 T02520054
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 7, 2023. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | 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.
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.