Bailey-Moyes Microlights DRAGONFLY B MODEL accident near Buckley, Washington, July 8, 2014
On July 8, 2014 at about 3:20 am local time, a 1998 Bailey-Moyes Microlights DRAGONFLY B MODEL, registered N7008Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Buckley, Washington (Flying H Ranch 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 inability to maintain airplane control due to a loss of flight control effectiveness for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examinations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2014 · about 3:20 am local time
- Place
- Buckley, Washington · Flying H Ranch Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bailey-Moyes Microlights DRAGONFLY B MODEL, built 1998
- Registration
- N7008Z · registry record · serial 046
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, about 15 minutes after departure, he was maneuvering the experimental, light sport airplane to the destination airport. After he initiated a right turn, the airplane assumed a nose-low attitude with the right wing low. The pilot felt no feedback pressure on the control stick and determined that there was a flight control malfunction. The airplane continued to descend, so the pilot activated the onboard ballistic emergency parachute when the airplane was about 100 ft above the trees. The airplane subsequently collided with the trees and then came to rest inverted about 0.4 nautical mile from the airport. Three years previously, the airplane had been involved in an accident with a different pilot, and the probable cause of that accident was the pilot's improper recovery from a dive that led to a loss of in-flight control. Following the accident, that pilot reported that he was aware that the airplane had a tendency to pitch down and accelerate when not monitored and controlled continuously. He stated that, although the control stick would move freely during a maneuver, he was unable to correct the flightpath with the elevator, which was consistent with this accident pilot's statement. According to two other pilots who encountered delayed controllability while operating the accident make and model airplane, adding engine power corrected the problem. The airplane was disassembled for recovery purposes, which prevented investigators from determining its configuration before the accident. The examination of the disassembled flight control system revealed no evidence of any preimpact failures or malfunctions that would have affected normal operation of the flight controls. Further, because the pilot activated the parachute system, it could not be determined whether the flight control condition was temporary.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 5.8 in this make and model; 5.8 in the last 90 days; 1.1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 10, 2013
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 449.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 30, 2015; 5 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 485 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WN15 Wilkeson WA at 3:00 am
- Destination: WN15 Wilkeson WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 am from KPLU, 10 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.
Other NTSB records under N7008Z 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 WPR14LA285.