Amateur-built Nieuport 11 accident near Rose Hill, Kansas, September 23, 2019
On September 23, 2019 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 1988 amateur-built Nieuport 11, registered N1398, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Rose Hill, Kansas (Cook Airfield). 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 takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and an impact with runway lights.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2019 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rose Hill, Kansas · Cook Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Nieuport 11, built 1988
- Registration
- N1398 · no longer on the register · serial 1398
- 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, during takeoff, he added power, and the biplane veered left, which he was unable to "check." The biplane veered off the runway to the left and impacted precision approach path indicator lights, spun 180°, and came to rest in grass adjacent to the runway. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the lower right wing. 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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
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
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Runway/taxi/approach light › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,460 hours in all; 272 in this make and model; 3,460 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 397.4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 26, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 793 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-145-B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K50 Rose Hill KS at 3:30 pm
- Destination: K50 Rose Hill KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,472 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from KIAB, 5 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 November 21, 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.
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.