Kolb Company MARK III accident near Gowanda, New York, July 18, 1996
On July 18, 1996 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Kolb Company MARK III, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N695WM, suffered minor damage in an accident near Gowanda, New York (Twichell airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to properly flare the airplane during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1996 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Gowanda, New York · Twichell · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kolb Company MARK III, amateur-built
- Registration
- N695WM · no longer on the register · serial 496
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a visual approach and landing to his private airstrip. He stated, 'On landing approach, I let the airspeed get too low, the aircraft hit the runway hard enough to damage the gear and fuselage.' He also reported that there were no malfunctions with the 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 272 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 272 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 1,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from BUF, 30 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.