Pilot Debrief

CRAIG ELLISON BEARHAWK FOUR near Sandpoint, ID — 2026-05-13

Investigation ongoingWPR26LA185
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Date
2026-05-13
Location
Sandpoint, ID, USA
Airport
ID25
Aircraft
CRAIG ELLISON BEARHAWK FOUR
Registration
N953CN
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On May 12, 2026, about 1940 Pacific daylight time (PDT), an experimental amateur-built Bearhawk Four airplane, N953CN, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Olmstead Sky Ranch in Sandpoint, Idaho. The pilot was uninjured, and the passenger sustained a minor injury. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were landing at the conclusion of the second test flight of the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that after the airplane touched down he noticed the right brake seemed to drag, and the airplane deviated progressively harder to the right. The pilot applied rudder and left brake inputs to compensate. As the airplane slowed, it nosed over and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the rudder, wings, and wing strut. The right brake remained locked after the airplane came to rest, and during the recovery of the airplane from the runway. The airplane was retained for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) · Landing-landing roll
View NTSB preliminary report

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