Premium research interface

The modern interface for aviation safety intelligence.

Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.

63k+
Reports indexed
1940-2026
Coverage
Recent
Last data refresh
Featured Report

Loading…

Loading featured report…

Loading…
Open Report

Safety trends by operating rule

Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.

Loading trend charts…

Browse the aviation graph

Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.

Last Data Update

By Decade

By Month

Aircraft Manufacturer

More manufacturers

Airports

More airports

Operators

More operators

About

Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.

The investigative work and source records belong to the National Transportation Safety Board and the published investigation record. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NTSB.

FAQs

NTSB Report

April 3, 2014 · Vans Aircraft RV-12 · N409FM

Bayport, NY

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
April 3, 2014
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (2 uninjured)
Location
Bayport, NY
Aircraft
Vans Aircraft RV-12 (2010)
Tail Number
N409FM
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Minor
NTSB Number
ERA14LA181

The RV-12 was inbound for landing and had joined a 45-degree approach to the left base leg for the runway. The Chipmunk had taxied to the end of the runway to conduct an engine run-up. The pilot of the RV-12 said that he made a radio call on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) while he was on the 45-degree base leg and during his turn to final. The Chipmunk pilot stated that he made a radio call on the CTAF stating his intention to depart. Both pilots said that they did not hear any traffic on the CTAF, nor did they see any traffic in the pattern or on the ground. The pilot of the RV-12 stated that the front half of the Chipmunk came into his view as the RV-12 was in its landing flare. Subsequently, the propeller of the RV-12 struck the rudder and vertical stabilizer of the Chipmunk, causing substantial damage and causing the RV-12 to lose thrust. A portion of the propeller blade tip from the RV-12 and a lead rudder balance weight from the Chipmunk were later discovered on the west half of the runway. The Chipmunk continued with the takeoff and landed shortly thereafter at a nearby airport. The RV-12 landed safely immediately after the collision. Examination of the airport environment revealed that, depending on the angle and altitude of inbound aircraft and the position of aircraft on the ground, trees surrounding the approach end of the runway could block a pilot's view of arriving or departing aircraft.

NTSB Probable Cause

Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring other aircraft-Pilot of other aircraft - C

Full Narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 3, 2014 about 1230 eastern daylight time (EDT), an experimental amateur-built Vans RV-12, N409FM, and a DeHavilland DHC-1"Chipmunk,"N12BH collided over the runway at the Bayport Aerodrome (23N), Bayport, New York. The Chipmunk received substantial damage and the RV-12 received minor damage. The private pilot in the RV-12 and the airline transport pilot in the Chipmunk were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plans were filed for either flight. The RV-12 departed the Cherry Ridge Airport (N30) in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The Chipmunk was departing Bayport Aerodrome for Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) in Islip, New York. Both airplanes were being operated as personal flights in accordance with Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the pilot of the RV-12, he stated that he made a radio call at the "mid bay" position announcing his intentions to land at 23N. The pilot also stated that he made subsequent radio calls while crossing the shoreline, when on 45-degree left base leg for runway 36, and on the turn onto the final. During the approach, the pilot of the RV-12 stated that he did not see any traffic on the runway. When the pilot of the RV-12 began his flare for landing, he stated that the "forward half of a departing aircraft came into view." One of the propeller blades of the RV-12 then struck the upper aft portion of the vertical stabilizer and rudder of the Chipmunk. The RV-12 then landed without power, while the Chipmunk departed to the north and continued to ISP. A portion of the propeller blade tip from the RV-12 and a lead rudder balance weight from the Chipmunk, were later discovered on the west half of runway. According to the pilot of the Chipmunk, after taxing to the south end of runway 36 he did an engine run-up and transmitted his intentions to depart on runway 36 on the traffic advisory frequency. The pilot said that he did not see anyone in the traffic pattern or hear them on the radio when he conducted a 360-degree turn to look for traffic prior to departing on the runway. At rotation the pilot of the Chipmunk stated that he "thought something in the tail or in the back had broken or let go or even possibly was hit by a bird." The pilot of the Chipmunk also stated that he thought his airplane was "controllable and flyable" and so he continued to ISP for landing on runway 33L. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot of the RV-12 held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He reported on that he had accrued approximately 740 total flight hours. The pilot of the Chipmunk held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airline transport pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land. He also held a flight instructor certificate for airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on April 4, 2014. He reported on that date that he had accrued approximately 36,000 total flight hours. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONAccording to FAA and airplane maintenance records, the RV-12 was issued its special airworthiness certificate in 2010. The airplane's most recent conditional inspection was completed on October 1, 2013. At the time of accident, the airplane had accrued approximately 338 total hours of operation. According to FAA and airplane maintenance records, the Chipmunk was manufactured in 1956. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on March 11, 2014. At the time of accident, the airplane had accrued approximately 2,500 total hours of operation. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONRecorded weather obtained from ISP's automated weather observation system located approximately 3 miles northwest of the accident site revealed that visual flight rules weather existed around the time of the accident. At 1156 the reported weather included: wind 320 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet, temperature 14 C, dewpoint -4 C, altimeter 30.09 inches of mercury. AIRPORT INFORMATIONAccording to FAA and airplane maintenance records, the RV-12 was issued its special airworthiness certificate in 2010. The airplane's most recent conditional inspection was completed on October 1, 2013. At the time of accident, the airplane had accrued approximately 338 total hours of operation. According to FAA and airplane maintenance records, the Chipmunk was manufactured in 1956. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on March 11, 2014. At the time of accident, the airplane had accrued approximately 2,500 total hours of operation. ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONAs a result of this accident, in order to improve safety, the New York Department of Transportation added the following comments to the Airport/Facility Directory: "PILOTS BE ADVISED: DUE TO PATTERN PROCEDURES, AIRCRAFT IN THE RUN-UP AREA OR STARTING TAKEOFF ROLL ON RWY 36, AND AIRCRAFT ON FINAL APPROACH TO RWY 36, MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE EACH OTHER DUE TO TREES." TESTS AND RESEARCHA review of satellite imagery and aerial photos of the airport indicated that portions of the approach end of runway 36 would be blocked from view due to trees, when using the published traffic pattern entry for runway 36. It was also noted that aircraft entering the traffic pattern for runway 36 would not be visible by aircraft on the ground holding short at the approach end of runway 36.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time12:30 EDT
Nearest AirportBayport Aerodrome (0nm)
Runway36
Runway Length2740 ft
Runway Width150 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftVans Aircraft RV-12
Tail NumberN409FM
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageMinor
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsRotax · 912 ULS · Reciprocating · 100 | Lycoming · IO-540 · Reciprocating · 260
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (2 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured2
Total2
Crew 1Age 57 · Sprt · None
Crew 2Age 62 · First Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind350° @ 11 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point48 / 27 C
Altimeter30.11 inHg
Observation Time16:56
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data