Apollo Aircraft INC Fox accident near Chateaugay, New York, July 19, 2018
On July 19, 2018 at about 6:45 pm local time, a 2008 Apollo Aircraft INC Fox, registered N791YE, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Chateaugay, New York. 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 clearance from trees during a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2018 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Chateaugay, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Apollo Aircraft INC Fox, built 2008
- Registration
- N791YE · no longer on the register · serial 00005
- 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, while landing on a 1,300-ft-long private grass airstrip, the airplane floated and would not settle in the grass. Subsequently, he performed a go-around, but the airplane struck trees beyond the departure end of the runway and then impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 23 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 5 knots. The pilot stated that the weather conditions reported at the departure airport about 18 miles to the east, about the time of the accident, were wind from 300° at 3 to 7 knots. The pilot landed to the east.
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
- Landing area overshoot during landing defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during approach (VFR go-around)
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 665 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 28, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,068 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 18, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912uls (piston); 1,068 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MAL Malone NY at 6:30 pm
- Destination: Chateaugay NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway East, 1,300 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Observation at 6:00 pm from CWIT, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 12, 2018. 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 | Accident Picture | 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.