Air Creation TANARG accident near Buckeye, Arizona, May 16, 2020
On May 16, 2020 at about 12:47 pm local time, a 2005 Air Creation TANARG (weight-shift aircraft), registered N837TB, was involved in an accident during standing (engine(s) operating) near Buckeye, Arizona (Buckeye Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to adequately maintain a safe distance from the airplane's propeller, which resulted in a serious injury when the propeller struck his hand.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2020 · about 12:47 pm local time
- Place
- Buckeye, Arizona · Buckeye Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Creation TANARG, built 2005 · all TANARGs on the register
- Registration
- N837TB · no longer on the register · serial T05010
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident pilot had been preforming touch and go landings with several trike pilots when he decided to land and talk to another trike pilot on the ground. After landing and setting the parking brake, he exited his trike with the engine still running, to go talk to the other pilot. When he returned to his trike, it had started to move, and he chased after it. As he neared the trike, he attempted to reach around to the right rear strut with his left hand, to stop it. However, the pilot did not see the rear mounted propeller, and his left-hand fingers were struck by the propeller and he was seriously injured. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- AC/prop/rotor contact w person during standing (engine(s) operating) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Situational awareness › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Flight time: 183 hours in all; 98 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 142 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 27, 2019
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: none
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 397 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 25, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,029 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 921L (piston); 450 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BXK Buckeye AZ at 12:30 pm
- Destination: BXK Buckeye AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from KBXK
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 WPR20CA150.