Amateur-built AVID FLYER accident near Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, July 3, 1987
On July 3, 1987 at about 5:20 pm local time, a amateur-built AVID FLYER, registered N169AF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cottage Grove, Wisconsin (Blackhawk Fld. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 3, 1987 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Cottage Grove, Wisconsin · Blackhawk Fld. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AVID FLYER
- Registration
- N169AF · registry record · serial 20944
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON RETURN FROM THE SECOND TEST FLIGHT IN THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER DESCENT RATE ON SHORT FINAL. AN ATTEMPT TO ADD POWER TO CORRECT THE SITUATION WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, AND THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON A HIGHWAY SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. IT THEN BOUNCED AND VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND CAME TO A REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.
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: 168 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 123 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, June 29, 1987; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna UL430RR (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,600 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°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.
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 CHI87DEP08.