Amateur-built RYELONG LE accident near Wurtsboro, New York, August 9, 1997
On August 9, 1997 at about 3:35 pm local time, a amateur-built RYELONG LE, registered N4YC, was destroyed in an accident near Wurtsboro, New York (Wurtsboro-Sullivan County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot performed an aerobatic maneuver and misjudged the altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1997 · about 3:35 pm local time
- Place
- Wurtsboro, New York · Wurtsboro-Sullivan County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RYELONG LE
- Registration
- N4YC · no longer on the register · serial 854
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot took off in his homebuilt airplane and remained in the traffic pattern. The airplane maintained its altitude throughout the pattern, and descended on final to reach the approach end of the runway at a low altitude and high rate of speed. About two thirds of the way down the runway, the nose of the airplane raised and the airplane began to climb. About 100 AGL, the airplane commenced a left roll. When the airplane was inverted, the nose dropped below the horizon and the airplane began to descend. As the roll continued, the rate of descent increased, and the airplane impacted the ground in a 30-45 degree right wing down and 30 degrees nose down attitude.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,174 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 24, 1997
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N82 NY at 3:30 pm
- Destination: N82
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 3,577 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from SWF, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.