Northwing 17 accident near Section, Alabama, July 9, 2018
On July 9, 2018 at about 11:45 pm local time, a 2005 Northwing 17 (weight-shift aircraft), registered N959RR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Section, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The noncertificated pilot's failure to maintain control of the weight-shift-control aircraft during an aborted landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of flight experience in the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2018 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Section, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Northwing 17 M, built 2005
- Registration
- N959RR · no longer on the register · serial 39713
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noncertificated pilot had purchased the experimental light sport weight-shift-control trike about 1 month before the accident and had not flown it. The day before the accident, the pilot mowed a runway into the tall grass behind his home. On the day of the accident, the pilot asked his wife if she wanted to watch him taxi the aircraft; she did not realize he was going to fly it. He taxied back and forth a few times on runway, then initiated a takeoff. About 10 minutes later, the pilot returned to the runway for landing. The aircraft abruptly touched down, then bounced back into the air. Remaining airborne, it turned to the right and the right wing impacted the top of a tree before the aircraft subsequently impacted the ground. Examination of the aircraft revealed no mechanical discrepancies that would have precluded normal operation at that time of the accident. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with a loss of control during an aborted landing.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 990 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Section AL at 11:30 pm
- Destination: Section AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 650 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from 4A6, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on March 25, 2020. 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 | Record of Conversdation- Eyewitness | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation-faa | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record-previous Owner | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Weather | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo Array- Accident Site and Damage | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Overhead View of Runway and Accident Location | PDF, 1 page | 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.