What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 13, 2025, the subject pilot was taxiing from his hangar to runway 24 at the virgin I. Grissom municipal airport (bfr), Bedford, Indiana. An a&pia mechanic on the field witnessed the subject aircraft's engine quit as it approached taxiway a leading up to runway 24. The witness reported that he watched the pilot attempt to restart the engine 5 times. The engine restarted and the witness was expecting the aircraft to taxi to the maintnenance shop or return to the hangar. The pilot continued to the runway and proceeded with a takeoff from runway 24. The witness heard the aircraft abort the takeoff and return to the threshold of runway 24. At approximately 16:25 local, the aircraft continued with a second takeoff attempt. The witness stated that it sounded like the aircraft was producing about fifty (50) percent power.
The aircraft was not able to maintain a flying speed and the pilot turned to the right (north). The aircraft impacted a soybean field 0.2 miles from the departure end of runway 24 at a heading of 308 degrees.
Tire tracks from first responders deformed the crops surrounding the impact point. The aircraft came to rest on its left side. The left wing was folded backwards. The fuselage was laying on its left side and at a heading of 210 degrees.
Impact to the nose of the aircraft factured the fiberglass fuselage and pushed the nosegear upwards and inwards into the fuselage. The nose low impact angle would be consistent with the main gear contacting the 30 inch tall soybean first, causing a forward pitching moment
Fuel was leaking from the fuel tank. The fuel selector valve was in the "on" position. All three propellers struck the ground and delaminated
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2025, THE SUBJECT PILOT WAS TAXIING FROM HIS HANGAR TO RUNWAY 24 AT THE VIRGIN I. GRISSOM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (BFR), BEDFORD, INDIANA. AN A&PIA MECHANIC ON THE FIELD WITNESSED THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE QUIT AS IT APPROACHED TAXIWAY A LEADING UP TO RUNWAY 24. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT HE WATCHED THE PILOT ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE 5 TIMES. THE ENGINE RESTARTED AND THE WITNESS WAS EXPECTING THE AIRCRAFT TO TAXI TO THE MAINTNENANCE SHOP OR RETURN TO THE HANGAR. THE PILOT CONTINUED TO THE RUNWAY AND PROCEEDED WITH A TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 24. THE WITNESS HEARD THE AIRCRAFT ABORT THE TAKEOFF AND RETURN TO THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 24. AT APPROXIMATELY 16:25 LOCAL, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED WITH A SECOND TAKEOFF ATTEMPT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE THE AIRCRAFT WAS PRODUCING ABOUT FIFTY (50) PERCENT POWER.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN A FLYING SPEED AND THE PILOT TURNED TO THE RIGHT (NORTH). THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A SOYBEAN FIELD 0.2 MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 24 AT A HEADING OF 308 DEGREES.
TIRE TRACKS FROM FIRST RESPONDERS DEFORMED THE CROPS SURROUNDING THE IMPACT POINT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE LEFT WING WAS FOLDED BACKWARDS. THE FUSELAGE WAS LAYING ON ITS LEFT SIDE AND AT A HEADING OF 210 DEGREES.
IMPACT TO THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT FACTURED THE FIBERGLASS FUSELAGE AND PUSHED THE NOSEGEAR UPWARDS AND INWARDS INTO THE FUSELAGE. THE NOSE LOW IMPACT ANGLE WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE MAIN GEAR CONTACTING THE 30 INCH TALL SOYBEAN FIRST, CAUSING A FORWARD PITCHING MOMENT
FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS IN THE "ON" POSITION. ALL THREE PROPELLERS STRUCK THE GROUND AND DELAMINATED
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.