Amateur-built RANS COYOTE accident near London, Kentucky, August 12, 2016
On August 12, 2016 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 2007 amateur-built RANS COYOTE, registered N910RK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near London, Kentucky (London-Corbin Arpt-Magee Field). 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 student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from trees during an attempted go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 2016 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- London, Kentucky · London-Corbin Arpt-Magee Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RANS COYOTE SUPERSIX, built 2007
- Registration
- N910RK · no longer on the register · serial 296
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a 1-hour local flight during which he familiarized himself with the airplane's stall characteristics, the student pilot/owner of the experimental light sport airplane returned to his home airport to practice touch-and-go landings. The airplane bounced during the final landing attempt, and while recovering, the student applied full power to the engine for a go-around. The student stated that the airplane then banked to the right due to the engine's counter-clockwise rotation "p factor effect" and began heading toward a hangar located off the right side of the runway. Due to the airplane's low altitude and airspeed, the student chose to continue the right turn to avoid colliding with the hangar, and once clear of it, tried to climb the airplane to clear an approaching tree line; however, the airplane's right wing struck one of the trees. The airplane then impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe and serious injuries to the pilot. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation. He attributed the loss of control during the go-around attempt to his unfamiliarity with the flight characteristics of the counter-clockwise rotation of the airplane's two-stroke engine and his lack of flight experience in experimental light sport airplanes.
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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 287 hours in all; 2 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 36.9 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 754 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 DCDI (piston); 37 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LOZ London KY at 1:50 pm
- Destination: LOZ London KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,751 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KLOZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 25, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record – Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statements | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 20 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.