Amateur-built SCHUKERT D-1 accident near Gardner, Kansas, June 10, 1996
On June 10, 1996 at about 2:00 pm local time, a amateur-built SCHUKERT D-1, registered N51CQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gardner, Kansas (Gardner Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
an aileron control malfunction of undetermined origin. A factor was the pilot's inability to control the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 1996 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gardner, Kansas · Gardner Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SCHUKERT D-1 SCHUKERT D
- Registration
- N51CQ · no longer on the register · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The builder/pilot reported the airplane began a right turn after liftoff. He said he applied left control input to stop the turn. The airplane leveled off and began a descent. The pilot said the airplane would begin a right turn if he neutralized the aileron controls. The airplane collided with the ground shortly after getting airborne. The on-scene investigation revealed flight control continuity. The pilot said the engine had been developing full power. Wing and aileron rigging could not be determined due to the crash damage.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 4-CYL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K34
- Destination: K34
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°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.