Amateur-built Velocity XL-RG accident near Belvidere, Kansas, August 7, 2004
On August 7, 2004 at about 3:21 pm local time, a amateur-built Velocity XL-RG, registered N190J, was destroyed in an accident near Belvidere, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The non-instrument rated pilot's VFR flight into known instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain aircraft control which resulted in an inverted flat spin, in-flight breakup, and explosion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2004 · about 3:21 pm local time
- Place
- Belvidere, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Velocity XL-RG
- Registration
- N190J · registry record · serial 1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The amateur-built airplane was destroyed by a post-accident fire following an in-flight breakup and subsequent explosion during cruise flight. The non-instrument rated pilot called for a weather briefing and was told that an instrument flight rules advisory was issued for the one-western third of Kansas and that the departure airport was currently reporting marginal visual flight rules weather conditions. The pilot did not file a flight plan during the weather briefing. At the time of departure, the airport's weather observation system reported an overcast ceiling of 900 feet and a surface visibility of 5 statute miles with mist. Combining aircraft radar track data with several weather products indicated that the accident airplane was operating within an overcast cloud layer prior to the accident. Just prior to the accident, aircraft radar track data showed the airplane in a climbing left turn, followed by a descending left turn that continued until the last radar return at 5,700 feet msl. The calculated average descent rate was 2,000 feet/min between the last two radar returns. The last radar return was 0.64 nm northeast of the accident site. A witness to the accident reported hearing an airplane overhead, which was followed by an increase in engine noise. The witness stated he "looked up and saw the plane fall out of the clouds in [an] inverted flat spin, the wing broke off, then the plane burst into flames [and] fell straight to the ground." No anomalies consistent with a preexisting condition were observed during the post-accident examination of the airframe and engine.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 614 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 520 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 210 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DDC Dodge City KS at 3:00 pm
- Destination: MLB Melbourne FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:10 pm from PTT, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 CHI04FA215.