Skybolt SMITH SPECIAL SKYBOL accident near Stafford, Virginia, June 30, 2019
On June 30, 2019 at about 12:49 pm local time, a 2017 Skybolt SMITH SPECIAL SKYBOL, registered N748JS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Stafford, Virginia (Stafford Rgnl airport). It was a flight test 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 the runway heading during an aborted go-around, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2019 · about 12:49 pm local time
- Place
- Stafford, Virginia · Stafford Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Skybolt SMITH SPECIAL SKYBOL No Series, built 2017
- Registration
- N748JS · registry record · serial DJS001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during landing, the biplane touched down right of the centerline, and the propeller struck the runway. He added power to go around, but the biplane drifted right, so he maneuvered it toward a grass field right of the runway and shut off the engine. He then leveled the biplane, and it subsequently landed hard, and the main landing gear collapsed. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing "I" strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Heading/course › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,823 hours in all; 1.1 in this make and model; 13.8 in the last 90 days; 4.8 in the last 30 days; 2,713.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 8, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8.2 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 11, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Sc Motorstart SRL VedeneyevM14p (piston); 10 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RMN Stafford VA at 12:00 pm
- Destination: RMN Stafford VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from RMN, 1 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 January 21, 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, 16 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.
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.