Amateur-built KOLB MARK 3 accident near Vidor, Texas, June 20, 1999
On June 20, 1999 at about 5:15 pm local time, a amateur-built KOLB MARK 3, registered N106RL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vidor, Texas. 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 failure to maintain control of the airplane, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1999 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Vidor, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KOLB MARK 3 KOLB MARK
- Registration
- N106RL · registry record · serial 105
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot lost control of the amateur-built experimental airplane while maneuvering at 800 feet agl near his property. The pilot stated that when he initiated a left turn from a heading of 360 to 270 degrees, the aircraft entered a 'slip,' from which he could not recover. The airplane was in a left turn when it impacted a tree on the pilot's property. According to the pilot, his wife and son heard the engine and stated that it 'was not running right.' He added that 'all controls were working.' The FAA inspector stated that he rotated the engine crankshaft by hand and found automobile gasoline and oil in the engine. No anomalies were found that would have prevented operation of the engine.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 79 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 1999; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORG Orange County TX at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from BPT, 10 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.
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.