Aeros Venture accident near Baldwin City, Kansas, June 1, 2008
On June 1, 2008 at about 9:26 pm local time, a Aeros Venture, registered N43865, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Baldwin City, Kansas. It was an instructional 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 maintain proper runway alignment and the instructor's delayed remedial action to abort the landing, which resulted in a collision with a mailbox and hangar. A factor was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2008 · about 9:26 pm local time
- Place
- Baldwin City, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeros Venture
- Registration
- N43865 · no longer on the register · serial GS-001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 280-hour flight instructor was providing a 137-hour private pilot instruction in a weight-shift experimental light sport aircraft so he could obtain a sport pilot rating. The instructor said that they were both at the control bar as the pilot was practicing a normal approach to land. However, when the airplane was about 50 feet above the ground, the wind started to push the airplane to the left of the centerline. The pilot was unable to get the airplane back on course with the runway and the instructor attempted to take over the controls. There was not a positive exchange of controls and the airplane drifted further to the left and rapidly approached power lines, buildings, and trees. The instructor realized that they would be unable to out climb these obstacles and elected to fly the airplane onto the ground under the power lines. The airplane subsequently collided with a mailbox and a hangar resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's wing. The buggy, a landing gear strut, the propeller, and windshield were also damaged. The pilot reported there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane or the engine. The instructor stated that once the airplane started drifting off centerline, the landing should have been aborted and a go-around executed.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Airport structure › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 280 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
Pilot
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 8135 cc (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K64 Baldwin City KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N43865 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.