Kolb Aircraft INC KOLB MARK III accident near Rutherfordton, North Carolina, January 30, 2011
On January 30, 2011 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Kolb Aircraft INC KOLB MARK III, registered N457A, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Rutherfordton, North Carolina (Rutherfordton 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 failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude resulting in a stall/spin and ground impact.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 2011 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Rutherfordton, North Carolina · Rutherfordton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kolb Aircraft INC KOLB MARK III
- Registration
- N457A · no longer on the register · serial M-346
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was practicing takeoffs and landings at his home airport. As he made a left turn over a hangar, a crosswind increased, and the airplane banked too steeply. The left wing subsequently stalled and the airplane was too low for the pilot to recover. The airplane impacted the ground near a hangar. A witness stated that shortly after takeoff, the airplane returned and made a low pass at the airport. He observed the airplane then fly low over the pilot's restaurant and subsequently stall/spin at low altitude. During the stall, the witness heard the engine noise increase to full power. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded weather at the accident airport, about the time of the accident, included clear skies and calm wind.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FQD Rutherfordton NC at 7:30 pm
- Destination: FQD Rutherfordton NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:42 pm from FQD
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.
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.