Bucker BU-133 accident near Hartford, Kentucky, June 24, 2022
On June 24, 2022 at about 7:25 pm local time, a 1940 Bucker BU-133, registered N1940H, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Hartford, Kentucky (Ohio County airport). 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 pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during an attempted return to the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2022 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Hartford, Kentucky · Ohio County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bucker BU-133, built 1940
- Registration
- N1940H · no longer on the register · serial 37
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported that, during takeoff, the airplane became airborne about 1,000 ft down the 5,000-ft-long runway and immediately pitched up to a nose-high attitude with little increase in altitude. The witnesses also reported that the engine ran smoothly during the entire event. As the airplane passed the departure end of the runway, it made a slight right turn, followed by a sharp turn to the left back toward the runway. During the left turn, the nose dropped, and the airplane impacted the ground past the end of the runway in a left-wing-low attitude. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. Given the witness statements and the lack of mechanical anomalies, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack while attempting to return to the airport during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and impact with terrain.
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
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,925 hours in all
- Last flight review: November 3, 2021
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,475 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 25, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,290 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Seimens SH14A4 (piston); 1,475 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 5,003 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from OWB, 23 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KOWB 242056Z VRB05KT 10SM CLR 32/15 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP154 T03170150 56010
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 November 15, 2023. 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 | NTSB Memorandum for Record - FAA Correspondence and Wreckage Review | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts - Pilot Logbook | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpts - Aircraft Logbook | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpts - Engine Logbook | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Aircraft Weight and Balance Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 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.