Yakovlev YAK 52 accident near Bayou La Batre, Alabama, May 5, 2018
On May 5, 2018 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1993 Yakovlev YAK 52, registered N81FS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bayou La Batre, Alabama (Roy E Ray 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 improper planning for landing on a wet grass airstrip, which resulted in a runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 2018 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bayou La Batre, Alabama · Roy E Ray · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Yakovlev YAK 52 NO SERIES, built 1993 · all YAK 52s on the register
- Registration
- N81FS · registry record · serial 9311704
- 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 in the experimental, exhibition airplane, he departed from a grass airstrip about 1 hour after a rain shower. After a 15-minute pleasure flight, he landed on the same wet grass airstrip. He reported that the airplane touched down about 700 ft past the 2,000-ft-long runway's threshold at 75 knots with full flaps and the trim set nose up. He applied the brakes multiple times, but the airplane overran the departure end of the runway. The airplane's groundspeed was about 13 knots when the right wing struck a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing aileron. In the recommendation section of the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot asserted that the accident could have been prevented if he had taken into consideration "the reduced traction offered by the wet grass." The pilot reported that there were no 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
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 252.6 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 210 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 15, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Vedeneyev M14P (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Red Star Aero Services LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: 5R7 Bayou La Batre AL at 9:45 pm
- Destination: 5R7 Bayou La Batre AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 4,100 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:01 pm from KBFM, 13 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 GAA18CA284.