Amateur-built GLASAIR III accident near Kanab, Utah, September 3, 2011
On September 3, 2011 at about 7:00 pm local time, a amateur-built GLASAIR III, registered N17S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Kanab, Utah (Kanab 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, as a result of a flat left main landing gear tire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2011 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kanab, Utah · Kanab Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GLASAIR III
- Registration
- N17S · registry record · serial 3246
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, when the airplane touched down on the runway, he felt a vibration followed by the airplane pulling to the left. The pilot added right brake in attempt to realign the airplane; however, it continued to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The airplane traversed over the gravel adjacent to the runway and into brush, where it came to rest. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the airplane’s left main landing gear tire was flat. No other anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Tube › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,222 hours in all; 117 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 29, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 543 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 3, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 00C Durango CO at 5:30 pm
- Destination: KNB Kanab UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 6,193 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N17S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR11CA433.