Amateur-built GL NIEUPORT 17 accident near Chandler, Arizona, December 3, 1993
On December 3, 1993 at about 10:40 pm local time, a amateur-built GL NIEUPORT 17, registered N124DK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chandler, Arizona (Chandler Municipal 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
was the pilot's improper handling of the airplane, and his failure to maintain control during his first attempted takeoff. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadvertent porpoising on the runway, and his lack of familiarity with the airplane's flight characteristics.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 1993 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- Chandler, Arizona · Chandler Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GL NIEUPORT 17 GL NIEUPOR
- Registration
- N124DK · no longer on the register · serial 585
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT BUILT THE AIRPLANE, PERFORMED TAXI TESTS, AND THEN ATTEMPTED FLIGHT. DURING HIS FIRST TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED 15 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REDUCED AND REAPPLIED ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED THREE TIMES ON THE RUNWAY BEFORE THE PILOT LOST TOTAL CONTROL AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD NO PREVIOUS FLYING EXPERIENCE IN THE MODEL AIRPLANE, AND HIS LAST BFR HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ABOUT 33 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 106 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 64 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 3, 1993; 0 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 1600 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 4,850 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.