Apollo Aircraft INC MONSOON accident near Kanona, New York, June 26, 2009
On June 26, 2009 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Apollo Aircraft INC MONSOON (weight-shift aircraft), registered N308AA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Kanona, New York (Kanona Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of control while landing in convective weather conditions. Contributing to the accident was his misjudgment of the approaching weather.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2009 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Kanona, New York · Kanona Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Apollo Aircraft INC MONSOON · all MONSOONs on the register
- Registration
- N308AA · registry record · serial 00002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot departed the private airpark for a local flight after being advised via radio that convective weather was approaching the area. Upon noticing the weather, the pilot decided to return to the airpark and land. During the landing, a strong crosswind pushed the aircraft toward the right side of the runway and the right wing struck a bush. The aircraft subsequently flipped upside down, resulting in substantial damage and serious injury to the pilot. About the time of the landing, a witness noted that the airport windsock was "straight out," indicating a crosswind to the runway. The aircraft had a placarded limitation of a 14 knot maximum crosswind component, and the pilot had a restriction on his student pilot certificate limiting him to flying in winds of 10 knots or less.
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
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Convective weather › Thunderstorm › Effect on operation
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Knowledge › Knowledge of meteorologic cond › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Kanona NY
- Destination: NONE Kanona NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; scat at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 5:21 pm from DSV, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N308AA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ERA09LA400.