Amateur-built BEARHAWK accident near Nampa, Idaho, December 16, 2019
On December 16, 2019 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2008 amateur-built BEARHAWK, registered N719JS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Nampa, Idaho (Nampa Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were 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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in impact with a knoll and a subsequent ground-loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 2019 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Nampa, Idaho · Nampa Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BEARHAWK No Series, built 2008
- Registration
- N719JS · registry record · serial 050-91/92-796
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after an uneventful flight, he verified the current weather conditions about 10 miles from the airport and subsequently entered the airport traffic pattern, at which point he chose to land on a grassy area between the runway and taxiway. The airplane touched down normally, but during the landing roll, the pilot saw an obstacle in the middle of the grassy area. The pilot was unable to react before the right main landing gear impacted a knoll, and the airplane ground looped. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 583 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 4.9 in the last 90 days; 2.9 in the last 30 days; 504.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 678.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 16, 2018; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-54-B485 (piston); 707 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MAN Nampa ID at 6:20 pm
- Destination: MAN Nampa ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.50 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 WPR20CA043.