American Legend Aircraft CO AL3 accident near Gulf Shores, Alabama, February 25, 2014
On February 25, 2014 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 2012 American Legend Aircraft CO AL3, registered N156WB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Gulf Shores, Alabama (Gulf Shores airport). 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 student pilot's incorrect rudder input, which resulted in a ground loop and collision with a runway sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 2014 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Gulf Shores, Alabama · Gulf Shores · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Legend Aircraft CO AL3, built 2012 · all AL3s on the register
- Registration
- N156WB · no longer on the register · serial AL-1173
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor, he and the student pilot flew to a local airport to practice touch and go landings and takeoffs. The student pilot flew the traffic pattern uneventfully, and during the final approach to land, the airspeed was excessive. The airplane touched down, and bounced back into the air; the student pilot regained control of the airplane, and touched down in the proper landing attitude. During the landing roll the airplane began to drift to the right, and the flight instructor called out for left rudder input while engaging the left rudder pedal. According to the student pilot, he initiated more right rudder pedal force and caused the airplane to ground loop. The airplane struck a runway sign and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Both pilots reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,300 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 3,100 as pilot in command; 1,235 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 6, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 6 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 212 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 23,501 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200-D (piston); 208 hours total
- Operator: Mhoc LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 82J Pensacola FL at 3:30 pm
- Destination: JKA Gulf Shores AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 6,962 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 16,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from JKA
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 N156WB 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.