Amateur-built WINDLASS accident near Dalton, Georgia, September 28, 2019
On September 28, 2019 at about 11:09 pm local time, a 1998 amateur-built WINDLASS (weight-shift aircraft), registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Dalton, Georgia (Pratermill Flight Park airport). 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 pilot's exceedance of the aircraft's critical angle of attack during a turn shortly after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain. Contributing was the pilot's lack of experience in the accident aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2019 · about 11:09 pm local time
- Place
- Dalton, Georgia · Pratermill Flight Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built WINDLASS, built 1998
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial None
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot departed in the weight-shift control aircraft and climbed to just above tree height before entering a turn to the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern. Witnesses reported that the aircraft appeared to stall in the turn before making an uncontrolled, turning descent toward the ground. Although the pilot had received about 13 hours of instruction in weight-shift control aircraft, the accident flight was his first flight in the accident aircraft, and he did not have an endorsement for solo operation of a weight-shift control aircraft. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. It is likely that the pilot failed to maintain airspeed during the turn, which resulted in an exceedance of the aircraft's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.
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 maneuvering 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 › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 18,870 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 207.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 8, 1999; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 772 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 206 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GA72 Dalton GA at 11:09 pm
- Destination: GA72 Dalton GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 1,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from DNN, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on March 17, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Log Excerpts | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Memorandum for Record - Wreckage Examination | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Memorandum for Record - Coroner | 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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG 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.