Amateur-built Series 5 accident near Kerrville, Texas, September 1, 2007
On September 1, 2007 at about 2:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Series 5, registered N915W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kerrville, Texas (Tierra Linda Irport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to compensate for the existing wind conditions. A contributing factor was the prevailing crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2007 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kerrville, Texas · Tierra Linda Irport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Series 5
- Registration
- N915W · no longer on the register · serial S94090047
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1,300-hour private pilot lost directional control of the tail-wheel equipped homebuilt airplane during takeoff roll from Runway 16. The pilot reported that shortly after reaching the first 200-feet of his takeoff roll, the airplane started to veer to the left of the centerline and eventually ran-off the runway. The pilot stated the runway was elevated from the surrounding terrain and when the airplane ran off the left side of the runway, the airplane banked to the right and the right wing collided with the ground and the airplane nosed-over. The FAA inspector, who responded to the site of the accident, did not find any anomalies with the flight controls, tailwheel steering system or the brakes. A passenger seated on the right front seat of the airplane provided a copy of a short video clip confirming the sequence of events. The Runway 16 was described as a 3,000 -foot long by 50-foot wide asphalt airstrip. Weather 10 nautical miles south of the airport was reported 10 minutes prior to the accident to be winds from 110 at 9 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, with a broken layer at 7,500 feet and an overcast layer at 10,000-feet. The temperature was reported as 28-degrees Celsius, with a dew point at 17-degrees Celsius, with an altimeter of 30.13 inches of Mercury.
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: 1,300 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,300 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 450 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,620 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Kerrville TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from 60TE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.