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

September 28, 2014 · Quicksilver Eipper Acft GT 400 · N3740A

Lebanon, CT

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
September 28, 2014
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 serious injury)
Location
Lebanon, CT
Aircraft
Quicksilver Eipper Acft GT 400 (1989)
Tail Number
N3740A
Injuries
Serious
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ERA14LA462

The pilot reported that, during the takeoff from a private airstrip, he used only about half of the available runway length. The ultralight airplane reached about 8 to 10 ft above the ground, and the pilot thought it would clear trees at the end of the runway, so he continued the climb. The nose landing gear subsequently cleared the trees, but the main landing gear caught a treetop. The airplane then turned right, stalled, and descended through the trees to the ground. The airplane was heading into gusting wind during the takeoff. A witness reported hearing the engine running after the accident, and the pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s misjudgment of the takeoff distance needed to clear trees at the end of the runway.

Full Narrative

On September 28, 2014, at 1152 eastern daylight time, a Quicksilver Eipper GT 400, N3740A, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees while taking off from a private airstrip in Lebanon, Connecticut. The non-certificated pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight to Richmond Airport (08R), West Kingston, Rhode Island, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.According to a witness, she was sitting in her living room when she heard what sounded like an airplane taking off from the airstrip located beyond the trees in her back yard. It sounded very loud and low, so she ran to a window at the back of her house to see if it would clear the trees when she heard it hit the trees and then crash. She heard the engine still running for a few minutes after the crash and then it stopped. The pilot was interviewed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector while recovering in the hospital. According to the inspector, the pilot had flown the airplane from his home airport [08R] to the uncontrolled, private airstrip. It had been about 8 years since he had last flown there, and the pilot was unaware that the airstrip had been shortened by about 200 feet. The pilot did not speak to anyone and stayed there about an hour. When he decided to depart, he configured the airplane with 10-degrees flaps, and departed to the [north]west. In an attempt to clear trees beyond the end of the runway, he pulled back on the control stick and stalled the airplane into those trees. In further correspondence with the NTSB, the pilot stated that he only used about half of the runway to take off. About 8 to 10 feet in the air, the pilot thought the airplane would clear trees at the end of the runway, and he continued the climb. The nose landing gear cleared the trees, but the main landing gear caught the top of a tree. The airplane then turned to the right, stalled, and descended through the trees to the ground. Winds, recorded at a nearby airport at the time of the accident, were from 340 degrees true at 8, gusting 18 knots. Estimated dimensions of the airstrip from a Google Earth view were about 1,050 feet by 40 feet, oriented 290/110 degrees true. The airplane was originally operated under Federal Air Regulations Part 103 for ultralight aircraft. The airplane was registered in 2007, but that registration expired in 2012. The pilot did not possess a pilot certificate, but indicated that he had flown an estimated 2,500 hours in ultralights with about 500 hours in make and model. The pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal airplane operation.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time11:52 EDT
Nearest AirportPrivate Airstrip (0nm W)
Runway29
Runway Length1050 ft
Runway Width40 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftQuicksilver Eipper Acft GT 400
Tail NumberN3740A
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsRotax · 503 · Reciprocating · 50
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 serious injury)
Fatal0
Serious1
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 69 · None · Serious

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind340° @ 8 kt, gusting 18 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point55
Altimeter29.84 inHg
Observation Time15:52
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data