Fpna LLC A-22 VALOR accident near Wurtsboro, New York, July 30, 2013
On July 30, 2013 at about 8:32 pm local time, a Fpna LLC A-22 VALOR, registered N912FP, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Wurtsboro, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to comply with the manufacturer’s limitations and guidance regarding flaperons usage at low altitude and in adverse wind conditions, which resulted in an in-flight loss of airplane control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2013 · about 8:32 pm local time
- Place
- Wurtsboro, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fpna LLC A-22 VALOR · all A-22 VALORs on the register
- Registration
- N912FP · no longer on the register · serial H035
- 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 took off from the surface of the lake in the light-sport floatplane into a 9-knot wind. Once the airplane climbed above the treetops, the pilot initiated a left turn and retracted the flaperons "simultaneously." At that time, the control wheel rotated left, and the pilot was unable to return the wheel to the "neutral" position. The airplane continued in a descending left turn and collided with trees and terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and the tail section. Examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The Pilot Operating Handbook states that flaperons extension are not recommended in a crosswind of 9 or more knots and that the airplane should be at an altitude of 500 feet after takeoff before flaperon retraction.
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 initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Configuration › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 60 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 161 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 16, 2012
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wurtsboro NY at 8:31 pm
- Destination: Wurtsboro NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from MSV, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 ERA13LA346.