Remos Aircraft GMBH REMOS GX accident near Lowell, Arkansas, October 11, 2016
On October 11, 2016 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 2008 Remos Aircraft GMBH REMOS GX, registered N27GX, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Lowell, Arkansas (Private Airstrip 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to take off with a prevailing tailwind and insufficient distance to ensure obstacle clearance, which resulted in a collision with a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2016 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lowell, Arkansas · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Remos Aircraft GMBH REMOS GX NO SERIES, built 2008 · all REMOS GXs on the register
- Registration
- N27GX · no longer on the register · serial 264
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he performed three off-airport, soft-field landings and was landing in a southerly direction. He added that, after the third landing, he turned the aircraft around and took off to the north, "because of all the tall trees on the south end of the strip." He remarked that the wind was calm on the ground but that, during his takeoff climb, he encountered "wind shear and my airspeed dropped from 50 kts to 30 kts." He recalled that the airplane struck a tree, descended, and impacted terrain. According to the nearest METAR from an aerodrome located about 3 miles northeast of the accident site, the wind about the time of the accident was from 210° at 13 kts. The METAR indicated that the prevailing wind throughout the day was a southerly wind. According to the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, "Takeoff Performance," pages 10-14, paragraph 5: The effect of wind on takeoff distance is large, and proper consideration also must be provided when predicting takeoff distance. The effect of a headwind is to allow the aircraft to reach the lift-off speed at a lower groundspeed while the effect of a tailwind is to require the aircraft to achieve a greater groundspeed to attain the lift-off speed. A headwind that is 10 percent of the takeoff airspeed will reduce the takeoff distance approximately 19 percent. However, a tailwind that is 10 percent of the takeoff airspeed will increase the takeoff distance approximately 21 percent. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Decision related to condition
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 6,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 3, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 696.5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 6, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 782 hours total
- Operator: Adventure Flight Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: ASG Springdale AR at 4:00 pm
- Destination: ASG Springdale AR
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 4:48 pm from KASG, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 GAA17CA020.