Pphu Ekolot KR-030 TOPAZ N568RD accident near Platteville, Wisconsin

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain for reasons which could not be determined.

NTSB analysis

Airplane position data revealed that, after takeoff, the pilot maneuvered within a 4-mile radius of the airport at varying altitudes up to about 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl). Shortly before the accident, the pilot executed a low pass or a touch-and-go and then entered a left turn, climbing the airplane to an altitude of about 1,100 ft msl while turning to a southerly course. The final data point was recorded about 30 seconds later and was located 0.15 miles west of the airport, coincident with the accident site. The ground impact marks relative to the accident site were consistent with a southeasterly course at the time of impact.

The position data indicated that the airplane course and groundspeed were about 137° and 78 kts at the end of the data. The recorded surface wind at the airport was from the west (250°) at 7 kts. Accordingly, the corresponding airplane airspeed was about 75 kts. The data did not point to an aerodynamic stall immediately preceding the impact.

A postrecovery examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies consistent with an inflight failure or malfunction. Data recovered from the onboard engine control unit was consistent with a normally running engine responding to the pilot’s throttle control inputs. From takeoff until the end of the recorded data, each of the engine parameters remained within the specified limitations.

The pilot did not recall any aspects of the accident sequence. Based on the available information, the pilot did not maintain clearance to the terrain while maneuvering near the airport. The reason for not maintaining clearance from terrain could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN25LA149 for the full record.