Amateur-built SKYRAIDER accident near Lewiston, Idaho, June 28, 2014
On June 28, 2014 at about 3:22 pm local time, a amateur-built SKYRAIDER, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Lewiston, Idaho. 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 failure to maintain an adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle-of-attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at too low an altitude to recover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2014 · about 3:22 pm local time
- Place
- Lewiston, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SKYRAIDER
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial Unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot, who also owned the airplane, was conducting a personal local flight. A witness at the airport observed the airplane taxi by to the east, turn west, rev up the engine as it turned around, sit for a while, and then depart. The witness reported that it was a windy, gusty day and that she did not observe anything unusual as the airplane turned to the east in a climb. She lost sight of the airplane as it went around the traffic pattern and could no longer hear the engine, and then she heard a thud. She did not hear the engine noise change, just the sudden thud. The airplane came to rest inverted in a wheat field with the tail elevated. The forward part of the airplane and the wings sustained aft crush damage and the tail was undamaged. The wreckage and ground scars were confined to the impact area. Initial examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have resulted in the a loss of engine power. Although an elevator control rod was found fractured, it exhibited features consistent with overstress. The wreckage was disposed of before a more thorough examination could be conducted. It is likely that the pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed and exceeded the critical angle-of-attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at too low an altitude to recover.
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 maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 50 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lewiston ID at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Lewiston ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from KLWS
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 UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.