Amateur-built SPORT II N728NN accident near Welsh, Louisiana

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient altitude from obstacles during the simulated landing approach which led to a collision with a fence and a building.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he was making a simulated landing approach to determine clearance requirements for a runway he was planning to put on his property. He said that during the approach, there was a slight tailwind, and he flew about 6 to 7 ft. above the ground during the approach. There was a fence that crossed the approach path. The pilot surmised that as he approached the fence and added power the airplane settled and the tail skid caught the top wire of the electric fence, which altered the airplane’s trajectory. The airplane struck a building on the property and then the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN23LA422 for the full record.