Rainbow Sky Reach (PTY) LTD BUSHCAT accident near Ahoskie, North Carolina, July 7, 2017
On July 7, 2017 at about 7:15 pm local time, a 2013 Rainbow Sky Reach (PTY) LTD BUSHCAT, registered N253BC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Ahoskie, North Carolina. 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 failure to maintain proper lateral/bank control during the landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a nose-over into water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2017 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ahoskie, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rainbow Sky Reach (PTY) LTD BUSHCAT NO SERIES, built 2013 · all BUSHCATs on the register
- Registration
- N253BC · registry record · serial CH143B
- 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 float-equipped airplane reported that he overflew the river where he planned to land about 1,000 ft above the water. He observed "negligible surface clues" indicating wind direction and recalled that a nearby "ATIS" reported the wind as "light" and from the southwest, so he decided to land to the south. He added that, following a normal landing touchdown, as the airplane was slowing, a "sudden moderate to severe gust of wind came from the right to left." He added that he "inputted right stick to counter" the wind gust and applied power to "go-around," but the airplane nosed over forward and to the left. The fuselage, empennage, and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station 14 nautical miles (nm) southwest from the accident site reported, about the time of the accident, wind from 340° at 3 knots. The departure airport about 30 nm northeast reported, about the time the pilot departed, wind from 300° at 4 knots. The pilot reported that the wind was from the southwest, gusting to 10 to 15 knots. He added that the landing direction was to the south.
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 (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
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 › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,237 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 119.5 in the last 90 days; 29.5 in the last 30 days; 3,861.6 as pilot in command; 1,579.4 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 10, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 169 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,430 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 169 hours total
- Operator: Overwatch Tools LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: KPVG Chesapeake VA at 7:45 pm
- Destination: KPVG Chesapeake VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from KASJ, 14 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.
Other NTSB records under N253BC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 GAA17CA397.