What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 7th, 2025, at approximately 1100 EDT, an experimental zodiac ch 650B aircraft, registered as privacy data omitted sustained significant damage during a flight in Sturgis, Michigan at Kirsch Municipal Airport (irs). The flight, operated by a private pilot with no passengers, was conducted under the guidelines of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91, without a filed flight plan. Fortunately, the pilot suffered only a minor superficial injury during the event.
The pilot stated that he was currently in the flight-testing phase for his new aircraft, with 26 hours of flight test time on the day of the accident and utilized faa/eaa flight test cards while continuing flight testing. At approximately 0940 local time (EDT), he completed his preflight with zero issues. The pilot noted, prior to takeoff, that he had registered only light winds from the 250 degree position at 4 knots, and had mostly clear skies with VFR conditions. He taxied and completed his takeoff, a circuit of the pattern, and landed on runway 24 at irs. On his second scheduled takeoff and approach to runway 24, the wind at 250 deg had increased, with gusting at 10-15 knots. On his final approach, he experienced a gust that boosted him to approximately 10 feet above the runway, and he admitted that he felt that he should have applied throttle to restore speed and perform a go-around. The result was an impact with the runway and porpoising, which caused a catostrophic failure of the nose strut, and damage to both wings, fuselage, and the engine. Once on deck, his aircraft was towed to his hanger to begin inspection.
Inspectors privacy data omittedand I arrived on site to interview the pilot and take photographs of the aircraft in Sturgis, MI on September 8th, 2025. Before interviewing the pilot, I provided the pilot with a pilot’s bill of rights. The pilot was forthcoming with his description of the accident, and his role in it. The aircraft itself took substantial damage in the accident: the nose strut and landing gear collapsed. Both wings, especially the starboard, touched the ground, which twisted the starboard wing and the fuselage. The engines oil line was sheared, a mount broken off, and the propeller destroyed. In addition to the pilot, we also spoke with the airport manager, who mentioned that this may have been the third accident/incident with the pilot. Once photographs and interview were collected, we thanked everyone for their time and headed back to grand rapids, MI.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 EDT, AN EXPERIMENTAL ZODIAC CH 650B AIRCRAFT, REGISTERED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE DURING A FLIGHT IN STURGIS, MICHIGAN AT KIRSCH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (IRS). THE FLIGHT, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT WITH NO PASSENGERS, WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91, WITHOUT A FILED FLIGHT PLAN. FORTUNATELY, THE PILOT SUFFERED ONLY A MINOR SUPERFICIAL INJURY DURING THE EVENT.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS CURRENTLY IN THE FLIGHT-TESTING PHASE FOR HIS NEW AIRCRAFT, WITH 26 HOURS OF FLIGHT TEST TIME ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND UTILIZED FAA/EAA FLIGHT TEST CARDS WHILE CONTINUING FLIGHT TESTING. AT APPROXIMATELY 0940 LOCAL TIME (EDT), HE COMPLETED HIS PREFLIGHT WITH ZERO ISSUES. THE PILOT NOTED, PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THAT HE HAD REGISTERED ONLY LIGHT WINDS FROM THE 250 DEGREE POSITION AT 4 KNOTS, AND HAD MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WITH VFR CONDITIONS. HE TAXIED AND COMPLETED HIS TAKEOFF, A CIRCUIT OF THE PATTERN, AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 24 AT IRS. ON HIS SECOND SCHEDULED TAKEOFF AND APPROACH TO RUNWAY 24, THE WIND AT 250 DEG HAD INCREASED, WITH GUSTING AT 10-15 KNOTS. ON HIS FINAL APPROACH, HE EXPERIENCED A GUST THAT BOOSTED HIM TO APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, AND HE ADMITTED THAT HE FELT THAT HE SHOULD HAVE APPLIED THROTTLE TO RESTORE SPEED AND PERFORM A GO-AROUND. THE RESULT WAS AN IMPACT WITH THE RUNWAY AND PORPOISING, WHICH CAUSED A CATOSTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE NOSE STRUT, AND DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS, FUSELAGE, AND THE ENGINE. ONCE ON DECK, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO HIS HANGER TO BEGIN INSPECTION.
INSPECTORS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AND I ARRIVED ON SITE TO INTERVIEW THE PILOT AND TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE AIRCRAFT IN STURGIS, MI ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2025. BEFORE INTERVIEWING THE PILOT, I PROVIDED THE PILOT WITH A PILOT’S BILL OF RIGHTS. THE PILOT WAS FORTHCOMING WITH HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT, AND HIS ROLE IN IT. THE AIRCRAFT ITSELF TOOK SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE IN THE ACCIDENT: THE NOSE STRUT AND LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. BOTH WINGS, ESPECIALLY THE STARBOARD, TOUCHED THE GROUND, WHICH TWISTED THE STARBOARD WING AND THE FUSELAGE. THE ENGINES OIL LINE WAS SHEARED, A MOUNT BROKEN OFF, AND THE PROPELLER DESTROYED. IN ADDITION TO THE PILOT, WE ALSO SPOKE WITH THE AIRPORT MANAGER, WHO MENTIONED THAT THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE THIRD ACCIDENT/INCIDENT WITH THE PILOT. ONCE PHOTOGRAPHS AND INTERVIEW WERE COLLECTED, WE THANKED EVERYONE FOR THEIR TIME AND HEADED BACK TO GRAND RAPIDS, MI.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.