Amateur-built S300X accident near Ephrata, Washington, May 12, 2012
On May 12, 2012 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 2009 amateur-built S300X, registered N336JS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Ephrata, Washington (Ephrata 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 inadequate landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2012 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ephrata, Washington · Ephrata · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built S300X, built 2009
- Registration
- N336JS · registry record · serial 35
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner of the experimental amateur-built aerobatic airplane was participating in an aerobatics practice and coaching event. On the morning of the event, he departed the airport, conducted aerobatics practice, and returned for a landing. During touchdown, the airplane bounced. Witness accounts of the severity of the touchdown and bounce varied. The airplane subsequently struck a runway sign off the left side of the runway during the rollout, and incurred substantial damage. After the accident, the pilot reported that the brakes had failed. In a followup statement, he reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft and added that a possible explanation of brake failure might have been as a result of the bounced landing. The accident was not reported to any aviation authorities until nearly a month after it occurred. Due to the late report, the airplane could not be examined to determine the integrity or functionality of the brake system or other possible reasons for the loss of control after landing.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- 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 › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 390 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 325 as pilot in command; 5 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 174 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 23, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming GO-435 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EPH Ephrata WA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: EPH Ephrata WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from EPH
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.
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 WPR12LA252.