Amateur-built ACRO SPORT II accident near Culpeper, Virginia, November 4, 2018
On November 4, 2018 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1994 amateur-built ACRO SPORT II, registered N44JS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Culpeper, Virginia (Culpeper Rgnl 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 failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 2018 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Culpeper, Virginia · Culpeper Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ACRO SPORT II 2, built 1994
- Registration
- N44JS · registry record · serial 4153
- 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, after a three-point landing, during the landing roll, the airplane veered left. He corrected with right rudder, but the airplane continued left. He added that he then "applied increasing right rudder" and that the airplane "turned sharply to the right and ground looped." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Roll over during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,024 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 959 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 25, 2018
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 428.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 17, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,520 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HO-360B1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CJR Culpeper VA at 6:20 pm
- Destination: CJR Culpeper VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.45 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from KCJR
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 10, 2019. 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 Photo | 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.
Other NTSB records under N44JS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.