Amateur-built III accident near Ephraim, Wisconsin, July 27, 2026
On July 27, 2026, a 2008 amateur-built III, registered N573TB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Ephraim, Wisconsin (Ephraim Airport). It was a personal 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2026
- Place
- Ephraim, Wisconsin · Ephraim Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built III, built 2008
- Registration
- N573TB · registry record · serial 1016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 26, 2026, at 1941 central daylight time, an experimental Kitfox III airplane, N573TB, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Ephraim, Wisconsin. The private pilot and a passenger were uninjured. The airplane was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations as a Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that he had flown the airplane for about an hour and was returning to Ephriam Airport, Ephraim, Wisconsin. During approach for landing on runway 14, the airplane engine suddenly lost total power. The pilot then performed a forced landing to a field about 3 miles east/northeast of the airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The airplane was retained for further examination.
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 engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 216 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 17.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from 3D2, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N573TB 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.