Tl Ultralight Sro TL-3000 SIRIUS accident near South St. Paul, Minnesota, April 8, 2016
On April 8, 2016 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 2013 Tl Ultralight Sro TL-3000 SIRIUS, registered N726T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near South St. Paul, Minnesota (South St Paul Muni-Richard E F airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 a proper landing flare in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing and substantial damage to the firewall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2016 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- South St. Paul, Minnesota · South St Paul Muni-Richard E F · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Tl Ultralight Sro TL-3000 SIRIUS NO SERIES, built 2013 · all TL-3000 SIRIUSs on the register
- Registration
- N726T · registry record · serial 13SI77
- 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 he encountered gusty wind conditions and a "sudden low level wind shear" during the landing flare and touched down hard. During the landing roll, the pilot noticed that he could not steer the airplane to the left, but he was able to stop the airplane on the runway. During a postaccident inspection, evidence of a propeller strike was also observed. The firewall was substantially damaged. An automated weather observing system, about the time of the accident, at the accident airport reported the wind 330 degrees true at 16 knots gusting to 28 knots. The pilot reported that he landed on runway 34. The pilot did not report any 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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact 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 › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 71.5 hours in all; 13.6 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 9.1 in the last 30 days; 36 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 30, 2015
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 463.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 3, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 463 hours total
- Operator: Air Associates Of Missouri
The flight
- Departed from: DBQ Dubuque IA at 7:30 pm
- Destination: SGS South St. Paul MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 16 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 9:32 pm from KSGS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 GAA16CA189.