Amateur-built BUSH SPORT accident near Willimantic, Connecticut, May 31, 2019
On May 31, 2019 at about 1:00 pm local time, a 2005 amateur-built BUSH SPORT, registered N4625D, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Willimantic, Connecticut (Windham 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 taxi operations, which resulted in a collision with a fuel pump enclosure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2019 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Willimantic, Connecticut · Windham · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BUSH SPORT 200, built 2005
- Registration
- N4625D · registry record · serial 21056
- 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, after he had fueled the airplane with a fuel pump, he started the engine and began to taxi. During the taxi, the right brake malfunctioned, and his right foot slipped off the brake/rudder pedal. The left wing struck the fuel pump enclosure, and the airplane impacted a concrete post that protected the fuel pump. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors who examined the brake system after the accident reported that there were no preaccident malfunctions or failures 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 taxi
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
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 › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Airport structure › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 813 hours in all; 338 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: August 12, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 338.2 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 18, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 340 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IJD Willimantic CT at 1:00 pm
- Destination: IJD Willimantic CT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 pm from KIJD
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 January 29, 2020. 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 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | 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.