Airborne XT-912 accident near Chelan, Washington, September 6, 2008
On September 6, 2008 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Airborne XT-912 (weight-shift aircraft), registered N227EK, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Chelan, Washington (Lake Chelan airport). It was an instructional 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's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2008 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chelan, Washington · Lake Chelan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airborne XT-912
- Registration
- N227EK · no longer on the register · serial XT912206
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot had stopped flying about 1970, resuming his flying again about 11 months prior to the accident. He received instruction in weight-shift aircraft with the goal of obtaining his sport pilot endorsement. On the day of the accident, the pilot received his solo endorsement from his instructor and made a 1-hour solo flight. After resting for about an hour, the pilot began his second solo flight. The accident occurred about 40 minutes into this flight. According to witnesses, the pilot performed several touch-and-go landings without incident. During the initial takeoff climb following another touch-and-go landing, the aircraft climbed at a "steep" angle, and at an altitude of about 100 to 200 feet above ground level, the aircraft rolled left, nosed down, spiraled and descended to ground impact. One witness stated that the engine remained at takeoff power throughout the entire event. An on-scene examination of the wreckage conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector indicated the aircraft impacted in a near-vertical attitude. The examination revealed no evidence of any preimpact damage or discrepancies. An autopsy determined the pilot's cause of death was blunt force trauma, and the findings in the autopsy report did not include any notations of preexisting disease. The reason the pilot lost control of the aircraft could not be determined.
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 in flight during initial climb defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
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 › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 265 hours in all; 30 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 28, 2008
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 35 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 28, 2008; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,020 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S10 Chelan WA at 5:20 pm
- Destination: S10
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 3,503 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.