Amateur-built KIS TR2 accident near Willow Springs, Missouri, July 31, 2007
On July 31, 2007, a amateur-built KIS TR2, registered N232AN, was destroyed in an accident near Willow Springs, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper installation of the aileron control pushrod which led to a separation of the pushrod and subsequent loss of aircraft control. A factor was the pilot not being able to control the airplane after the pushrod separation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2007
- Place
- Willow Springs, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KIS TR2
- Registration
- N232AN · no longer on the register · serial 115
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain following a loss of control during flight. The pilot reported that he had performed a pre-flight examination of the airplane and no discrepancies were found. He said that after takeoff, he noticed that the airplane was flying left wing heavy. He said that he climbed to pattern altitude where he attempted a turn to the right. The right turn required more aileron input than was normal and the pilot decided to return to the airport. He said that he then made a left turn which became steep and he attempted to level the wings using right aileron at which time he felt something "let go." He was no longer able to control the airplane and it subsequently impacted trees and terrain. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed that the left aileron push-pull control rod was separated into two pieces. Examination of the separated end fitting had portions of two rivets at 90 degrees to each other within the shank portion that inserts into the aluminum tube. The rivet shanks appeared to be machined or filed flush with the outside diameter of the insert. The aluminum pushrod tube had no evidence of drilled holes corresponding to the end fittings rivet locations, and no manufactured or shop formed rivet heads were present. No evidence could be found to indicate that the retaining rivets had been installed in the aluminum tube.
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: 400 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 410 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 1, 2006
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1H5 Willow Springs MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.