Amateur-built Skybolt accident near Guntersville, Alabama, October 20, 2007
On October 20, 2007 at about 10:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Skybolt, registered N1UU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Guntersville, Alabama (Guntersville Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Separation of the right tailwheel control link spring from the right control arm of the tailwheel, which resulted in a loss of control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 2007 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Guntersville, Alabama · Guntersville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Skybolt
- Registration
- N1UU · no longer on the register · serial N1UU
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the touchdown, the airplane "didn't seem to respond to control inputs," departed the right side of the runway, and ground looped in the surrounding grass. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the control link spring had separated from the right control arm of the tailwheel. The reason for the separation was not identified. The winds reported around the time of the accident were calm.
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: 1,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Unkown
- Destination: 8A1 Guntersville AL
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from 8A0, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.