Canadian Light Acft Sales &Svc BUSHCADDY EXPLORER R accident near Charleston, West Virginia, August 20, 2024
On August 20, 2024 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 2008 Canadian Light Acft Sales &Svc BUSHCADDY EXPLORER R, registered N335BE, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Charleston, West Virginia (West Virginia Intl Yeager airport). It was a personal 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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing in a crosswind, which resulted in a ground loop and subsequent landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2024 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, West Virginia · West Virginia Intl Yeager · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadian Light Acft Sales &Svc BUSHCADDY EXPLORER R, built 2008
- Registration
- N335BE · registry record · serial BCLSA(AT)148
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane at the end of an uneventful cross-country flight. During the landing roll the airplane “weathervane[d]” into the prevailing left crosswind, and then began to swerve as the pilot made corrections with inputs to the rudder and ailerons. The airplane continued to swerve, resulting in a ground loop to the left. During the ground loop, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing subsequently struck the runway, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were 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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,334 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 2,192 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 25, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 213 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS SERIES (piston); 223 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHO Charlottesville VA at 7:38 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 6,715 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 6:25 pm from CRW
Weather report (METAR): KCRW 202225Z 32006KT 10SM SCT055 BKN070 22/08 A3010 RMK AO2 T02170078
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Postaccident view of airplane
Photograph 2 – Right wing impact damage
Photograph 3 – Right wing impact damage
Photograph 4 – Postaccident view of airplane right wing damageThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 27, 2024. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Email Additional Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | 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 N335BE 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.