Amateur-built KR-2 accident near Laporte, Texas, April 5, 1985
On April 5, 1985 at about 7:52 pm local time, a amateur-built KR-2, registered N17VE, was destroyed in an accident near Laporte, Texas (Laporte Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 1985 · about 7:52 pm local time
- Place
- Laporte, Texas · Laporte Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KR-2
- Registration
- N17VE · registry record · serial 868
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES REPORTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT AN ALT OF APRX 30 FT AGL, THE ACFT ROLLED INVERTED AND DESCENDED TO GROUND IMPACT. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT FAILED TO DISCLOSE ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 388 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 388 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 15, 1985; 12 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 60-2-1835CC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 3,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:50 pm from HOU, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW85FRA01.