Amateur-built Kolb Mark III accident near Brigham City, Utah, April 11, 2001
On April 11, 2001 at about 3:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Kolb Mark III, registered N1225Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brigham City, Utah (Brigham City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudged landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor was the propeller tip separation due to foreign object damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2001 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brigham City, Utah · Brigham City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kolb Mark III
- Registration
- N1225Y · registry record · serial B1Y
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot took off on runway 34 and climbed to 5,000 feet msl. After leveling off, the engine started to shake violently. The pilot turned to initiate a forced landing on runway 16 and realized he was not going to make the runway, but was going to make the gravel run-out area. The pilot said that he maintained 55 mph until the beginning of the flare. He said the airplane's energy bleeds off very fast, and the flare is done at the last moment. Upon landing the left main landing gear collapsed, and the fuselage hit the ground and skidded for 35 to 50 yards. The pilot stated "that a FOD (dental pick) used in maintenance two days earlier and not found in two to three times going over the engine and one preflight, had dislodged from [a] hiding place and hit the prop." A 2 x 2 inch section of propeller tip was missing.
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: 193 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 130 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 19, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 118.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 2000; 72.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 UZ (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BMC Brigham City UT at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 160, 7,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from OGD, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 DEN01LA085.