Amateur-built S5 accident near Ririe, Idaho, November 4, 2023
On November 4, 2023 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 2002 amateur-built S5, registered N88VJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Ririe, Idaho. 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 inadvertent excessive use of brakes which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 2023 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ririe, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built S5, built 2002
- Registration
- N88VJ · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane intended to spend the day practicing takeoffs and landings at multiple remote backcountry sites with a group of three other similar airplanes. He practiced at the original departure airport before the other group arrived and reported that those flights were nominal. The group then departed for the first intended destination, which was a flat landing site surrounded by tall grass and brush. Those landings were uneventful, so the group decided to proceed to another close landing spot. This landing area appeared wider and flatter than the previous, however the grass was taller and thicker, such that the ground was obscured. The first airplane landed uneventfully, and the accident pilot decided that rather than landing he would perform a touch-and-go, with the wheels touching the grass so he could assess the conditions. As the pilot began to flare the airplane, he decided that it was safe to proceed with a full-stop landing. As the wheels touched the ground, it became apparent that the surface was much rougher than he anticipated, and the airplane bounced after the main wheels touched two large rocks 200 ft into the ground roll. The pilot retracted the flaperons and as the airplane decelerated the nose began to drop, even though he was holding the control stick full aft. The pilot stated that he was likely inadvertently applying brake pressure as he pushed against the rudder pedals to pull back further on the control stick, and that this may have exacerbated the pitch down motion. The airplane then nosed over. The airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to both wing struts and multiple wing ribs.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 248.8 hours in all; 144.1 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 28.1 in the last 30 days; 137.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 10, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 938 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 17, 2023; 132.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 938 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U56 Rigby ID at 7:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KIDA, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KIDA 041953Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 11/04 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP225 T01060044
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 8, 2024. 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 | 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.
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 WPR24LA027.