Amateur-built DYKE DELTA JD2 accident near Safford, Arizona, October 21, 1995
On October 21, 1995 at about 5:36 pm local time, a amateur-built DYKE DELTA JD2, registered N515D, was destroyed in an accident near Safford, Arizona. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
Improper planning/decision by the owner/builder (pilot), which resulted in his failure or inability to recover from a stall/mush condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 1995 · about 5:36 pm local time
- Place
- Safford, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DYKE DELTA JD2 DYKE DELTA
- Registration
- N515D · registry record · serial 1144
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner/builder (pilot) of a home built airplane was on a test flight to evaluate the slow speed flight characteristics of the airplane after installation of fixed tabs on the wing tip trailing edges. During the flight, the airplane crashed on the downhill side of a 50-foot knoll. The wreckage exhibited evidence of vertical impact loads and a low impact angle. The designer of the original prototype described a fully developed stall in this airplane as a mushing characteristic, resulting in a high sink rate and temporary loss of control. The designer also stated that the pilot's incorporation of a T-tail was a contravention of the original design specifications. The pilot had previously recorded stall speeds of 100 mph. The designer's intended stall speed was 75 mph for an unmodified airplane.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 225 hours in all; 3 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAD AZ at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°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.