Brewster LONG-EZ accident near Kanab, Utah, September 4, 2011
On September 4, 2011 at about 8:52 pm local time, a Brewster LONG-EZ, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N9DZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Kanab, Utah. It was a personal flight 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
The pilot's loss of airplane control during cruise flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2011 · about 8:52 pm local time
- Place
- Kanab, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Brewster LONG-EZ, amateur-built
- Registration
- N9DZ · no longer on the register · serial 863
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/builder of the experimental amateur-built airplane was flying in the number two position in a flight of three airplanes. Radar data identified the airplane flying about 1.5 nautical miles (nm) behind the lead airplane and about 4 nm ahead of the number three airplane. As they approached their destination, the pilot of the lead airplane asked for a radio frequency change to the destination airport’s common traffic advisory frequency. The accident pilot and the pilot of the number three airplane acknowledged this request. However, the accident pilot never checked in on the new frequency. Radar data at this point identified the airplane in a straight cruise ground track at an altitude of about 500 feet over flat desert terrain. The wreckage was located almost directly beneath the last radar data point. Vegetation and soil disturbance at the initial impact point suggested that the airplane was in a 25-to-30-degree right bank and 15-to-25-degree nose-low pitch attitude at impact. Autopsy and toxicological testing of the pilot revealed no evidence of impairment or incapacitation. Postaccident examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. The investigation was unable to determine why the pilot failed to maintain control of 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
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Climb capability › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 600 hours in all; 15 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,325 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Penn Yan Aero XE-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BCE Bryce Canyon Ar UT at 8:36 pm
- Destination: Kanab UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from BCE
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.