Silvaire 8F accident near Fairbury, Nebraska, April 6, 2025
On April 6, 2025 at about 10:05 pm local time, a 1959 Silvaire 8F, registered N9926C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Fairbury, Nebraska (Fairbury Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 directional control while landing and the flight instructors delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 2025 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Fairbury, Nebraska · Fairbury Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Silvaire 8F, built 1959 · all 8Fs on the register
- Registration
- N9926C · no longer on the register · serial S-30
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that the pilot receiving instruction performed a wheel landing on a runway with a crosswind. The landing was normal until the tail came down. The nose of the airplane went to the left and then back to the right. The flight instructor applied full left rudder, but the airplane continued to the right. The pilot receiving instruction applied full left break; however, the airplane continued to the right, exited the runway, and came to rest in a drainage ditch. The left main landing gear folded underneath the airplane and punctured the airplane floor which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. Both the pilot receiving instruction and the flight instructor 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 the airplane on runway 17. The flight instructor reported that the wind was out of the south southwest at 10 kts.
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 (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,629 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 8,366 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 123 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 79 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,832 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90-12F (piston); 1,832 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,700 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from KBIE, 20 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KBIE 062155Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 14/M07 A3007
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 11, 2025. 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 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN25LA150.