Bird Seawind 3000 accident near Knox City, Missouri, April 23, 2007
On April 23, 2007 at about 8:35 pm local time, a Bird Seawind 3000, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N40SW, was destroyed in an accident near Knox City, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. Contributing to the accident was the unsuitable terrain that was encountered by the pilot during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 2007 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Knox City, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bird Seawind 3000, amateur-built
- Registration
- N40SW · no longer on the register · serial 1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported seeing and hearing the airplane prior to its impact with the terrain. Several of these witnesses reported hearing the engine "sputtering" or "popping." A post crash fire engulfed the airplane, consuming all but the forward four feet of the fuselage. Control system integrity could not be conclusively determined; however, no evidence of a pre-impact failure was found. The engine was able to be rotated but damage from the post crash fire precluded determination as to the reason for the presumed loss of engine power. The terrain where the accident occurred was rising with vegetation about 8 to 12 inches tall. The ground scars and aircraft damage indicate that the bulkhead located just aft of the nose landing gear dug in during the forced landing resulting in the airplane nosing over.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MAW Malden MO
- Destination: ILL Willmar MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from IRK, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.