Amateur-built ALASKAN BUSHMASTER accident near Newburg, Oregon, January 29, 2015
On January 29, 2015 at about 10:30 pm local time, a 1998 amateur-built ALASKAN BUSHMASTER, registered N36NC, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Newburg, Oregon (Stan Jost 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll into sunlight, which restricted his visibility.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 2015 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Newburg, Oregon · Stan Jost · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ALASKAN BUSHMASTER NO SERIES, built 1998
- Registration
- N36NC · no longer on the register · serial 0012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was taking off in a southerly direction from a narrow, tree lined airstrip. During the takeoff roll, sunlight restricted his visibility. The airplane drifted left and subsequently came into contact with numerous juvenile fir trees along the side of the runway. The contact with the trees resulted in substantial leading edge damage to both wings, and the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane or engine.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- 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
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Bright light › Effect on personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,095 hours in all; 405 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 715 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-G4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 17S Newberg OR at 3:05 am
- Destination: pvt Newberg OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 900 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KMMV, 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 14, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1 - Airplane from Front (Photo Courtesy of Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 2 - Right Side of Fuselage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.