What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the evening of 13 July 2025 at approximately 1915L the subject aircraft crashed near the north approach end of a grass landing strip. The aircraft had previously departed the strip towing a part 103 tandem occupied weight shift hang glider. The takeoff, towing and release of the hang glider occurred without incident. The pilot reported that after releasing the hang glider he performed a steep spiraling descent to return to pattern altitude for approach and landing. At about 1,000 feet, the pilot levelled out to begin the approach, advanced the throttle but the engine did not respond. The pilot attempted to restart the engine and it would turn over but would not start. While attempting to regain throttle control, the pilot maneuvered to avoid power lines, the aircraft stalled and pitched forward impacting the ground coming to rest vertically. Emergency response crews found the aircraft nosed into the ground with the pilot trapped. Crews pulled the tail of the aircraft to the ground and extracted the pilot. The pilot was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries. A ballistic recovery chute was available but not deployed. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and emergency extraction efforts.
As the FAA filed it
ON THE EVENING OF 13 JULY 2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 1915L THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT CRASHED NEAR THE NORTH APPROACH END OF A GRASS LANDING STRIP. THE AIRCRAFT HAD PREVIOUSLY DEPARTED THE STRIP TOWING A PART 103 TANDEM OCCUPIED WEIGHT SHIFT HANG GLIDER. THE TAKEOFF, TOWING AND RELEASE OF THE HANG GLIDER OCCURRED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER RELEASING THE HANG GLIDER HE PERFORMED A STEEP SPIRALING DESCENT TO RETURN TO PATTERN ALTITUDE FOR APPROACH AND LANDING. AT ABOUT 1,000 FEET, THE PILOT LEVELLED OUT TO BEGIN THE APPROACH, ADVANCED THE THROTTLE BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT WOULD NOT START. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN THROTTLE CONTROL, THE PILOT MANEUVERED TO AVOID POWER LINES, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND PITCHED FORWARD IMPACTING THE GROUND COMING TO REST VERTICALLY. EMERGENCY RESPONSE CREWS FOUND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED INTO THE GROUND WITH THE PILOT TRAPPED. CREWS PULLED THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT TO THE GROUND AND EXTRACTED THE PILOT. THE PILOT WAS AIRLIFTED TO A HOSPITAL WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. A BALLISTIC RECOVERY CHUTE WAS AVAILABLE BUT NOT DEPLOYED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND EMERGENCY EXTRACTION EFFORTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.