Jihlavan Airplanes Sro KP5 accident near East Haddam, Connecticut, May 25, 2019
On May 25, 2019 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 2005 Jihlavan Airplanes Sro KP5, registered N235KP, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near East Haddam, Connecticut (Goodspeed 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 failure to maintain the proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2019 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- East Haddam, Connecticut · Goodspeed · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Jihlavan Airplanes Sro KP5, built 2005 · all KP5s on the register
- Registration
- N235KP · no longer on the register · serial 5110128K
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot receiving instruction reported that, during takeoff from the grass adjacent to a paved runway, after adding full power, he held the stick back during acceleration. He added that the airplane did not accelerate "much above the red line (40 mph)" and that he felt a "bump." The airplane then bounced and veered right. The flight instructor reported that, during the takeoff, the angle of attack was "higher than normal" and that the airplane aerodynamically stalled 3 ft above ground level. The right wing dropped, the airplane yawed right, and he and the pilot attempted to recover with nose-down, left-rudder, and left-aileron inputs. The airplane landed sideways, the landing gear collapsed, and the propeller struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot and instructor 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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Landing gear collapse during takeoff
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 › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 270 hours in all; 99 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 154 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 23, 2019
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: sport pilot
- Flight time: 845 hours in all; 132 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 798 as pilot in command; 265 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 23, 2018
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 363.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 23, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 364 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNC Chester CT at 1:00 pm
- Destination: SNC Chester CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 2,120 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KSNC, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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 GAA19CA287.