Kolb MARK III N4365E

Summary

On 14 September 2021 at about 00:30 local time, a Kolb MARK III registered N4365E was involved in an accident near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 September 2021 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Steamboat Springs, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Private Strip (n/a)

Coordinates

40.4943, -106.9828

Aircraft

Kolb MARK III

Registration

N4365E

Category

Airplane

Year built

1991

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA425

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot flew the airplane with the previous owner in Indiana before purchasing it and driving it on a trailer to Steamboat Springs. A witness reported that the pilot intended to taxi around his private airstrip to get a better feel for the airplane. The airplane subsequently lifted off the ground, cleared several fences, and was about 20 ft above the ground when the airplane’s nose suddenly lowered and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot told the witness that he did not intentionally lower the nose of the airplane. The pilot later told a family member that he stalled the airplane. The airplane was not made available for investigators to examine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.