Pphu Ekolot KR-030 TOPAZ accident near Lake Dallas, Texas, March 26, 2016
On March 26, 2016 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 2010 Pphu Ekolot KR-030 TOPAZ, registered N717SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Lake Dallas, Texas (Lakeview 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing in a crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion and an impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 2016 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Dallas, Texas · Lakeview · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pphu Ekolot KR-030 TOPAZ NO SERIES, built 2010 · all KR-030 TOPAZs on the register
- Registration
- N717SP · registry record · serial 30-03-10
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing touchdown with a crosswind, the tail of the airplane was "hit with a burst of strong wind" from a nearby lake. He reported that before being able to react, the wind blew the airplane off the left side of the runway. The nose wheel collapsed, the right main landing gear separated, and the airplane impacted terrain in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 286 hours in all; 286 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 141 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 30, 2015
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 367 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,235 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 367 hours total
- Operator: Niu Group Ad INC
The flight
- Departed from: 30F Lake Dallas TX at 6:20 pm
- Destination: 30F Lake Dallas TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18L, 2,815 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KDTO, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 GAA16CA164.