Staudacher Aircraft INC S 300 accident near Prospect Heights, Illinois, June 3, 2016
On June 3, 2016 at about 1:10 am local time, a 1998 Staudacher Aircraft INC S 300, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N126RG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Prospect Heights, Illinois (Chicago Executive 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 incorrect pitch control during the landing, which resulted in a hard bounced landing, and subsequent left main landing gear collapse, a runway excursion, and a collision with a runway sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2016 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Prospect Heights, Illinois · Chicago Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Staudacher Aircraft INC S 300 NO SERIES, built 1998, amateur-built · all S 300s on the register
- Registration
- N126RG · registry record · serial 26
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he landed hard and bounced. The pilot further reported that after the bounce, he knew that the left main landing gear had collapsed, and he held the left wing off of the runway until the airplane slowed and the wing stopped producing lift. Subsequently, the airplane veered off the runway to the left and collided with runway signs, which resulted in substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that the "½ inch fine thread bolt" on the left main landing gear failed during the bounced landing.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Taxiway markings/signage › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,764 hours in all; 193 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,764 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 27, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 478.5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 2, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 478 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Prospect Heights IL
- Destination: PWK Prospect Heights IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 4,415 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 28, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (Pilot in Command) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.