Amateur-built AVID FLYER MK4 accident near Colville, Washington, October 16, 2010
On October 16, 2010 at about 7:00 pm local time, a amateur-built AVID FLYER MK4, registered N169WP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Colville, Washington (Zema Private Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to compensate for a wind gust and maintain runway alignment during final approach to land, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 2010 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Colville, Washington · Zema Private Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AVID FLYER MK4
- Registration
- N169WP · registry record · serial 1262-D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was landing the airplane on a turf airstrip at a private airport with a crosswind of about 7 to 12 knots. During the landing approach, about 20 feet above the airstrip, the airplane encountered a gust of wind. As a result, the airplane drifted to the edge of runway and the right wing impacted a tree. The airplane subsequently descended to the ground and came to rest with the right wing no longer attached to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 126 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 10 in the last 30 days; 17 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 2, 2009
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru E-81 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WA72 Colville WA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: WA72 Colville WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 2,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from DEW, 45 miles away
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.