Amateur-built 2 accident near Cave Junction, Oregon, June 24, 2023
On June 24, 2023 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1992 amateur-built 2, registered N729U, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Cave Junction, Oregon (Illinois Valley 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2023 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cave Junction, Oregon · Illinois Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 2, built 1992
- Registration
- N729U · registry record · serial 729
- 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 departing at the time of the accident. As the airplane became airborne, it climbed to about 30 ft above ground level and the pilot was applying left rudder to counteract the torque from the engine. The airplane entered an aerodynamic stall and began an uncommanded left turn. The pilot did not have enough altitude to recover and the airplane continued to turn left. The right wing struck a tree and the airplane impacted the ground and came to rest upright. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination revealed that there was no evidence of a mechanical malfunction and all control linkages were intact and operational.
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 takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 141 hours in all; 24 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 7, 2023
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 306 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 17, 2023; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hks 700E (piston); 43 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,800 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 am from KBOK, 25 miles away
Weather report (METAR): AUTO 28005KT 10SM OVC007 13/12 A3009 RMK AO2 SLP189 T01280117
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR23LA243.