Skykits Corporation Savannah accident near Springville, Tennessee, September 20, 2010
On September 20, 2010 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Skykits Corporation Savannah, registered N63XT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Springville, Tennessee. 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
Collision with an unknown object during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2010 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Springville, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Skykits Corporation Savannah VG
- Registration
- N63XT · no longer on the register · serial 06-11-51-551
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was for the flight instructor to give instruction to the pilot and endorse him for a light sport aircraft sea rating. The flight instructor reported that during the initial landing on a lake, as the water line moved about three-quarters of the way up the floats, the airplane suddenly pitched over and became inverted. The pilot receiving instruction believed the airplane struck an object during landing. A post-accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the right float sustained substantial damage consistent with contact with an object and that no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies were found. The object struck by the seaplane could not be identified.
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 (landing roll) defining event
- Roll over during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Nacelles/pylons structure › Attach fittings (nac/pylon) › Damaged/degraded
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Effect on equipment
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,025 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 8,925 as pilot in command; 7,010 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 25, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: foreign licence, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 685 hours in all; 600 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 2, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skykits Corp
The flight
- Departed from: PHT Henry County TN
- Destination: N/A Springville TN
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 pm from CKV, 38 miles away
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.
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.