20250930016839A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Sukhoi SU-26MX · Longmont, CO · September 30, 2025

Date
September 30, 2025 · 13:48 local
Place
Longmont, CO
Airport
Vance Brand
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N25SU
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN25LA405
Reported as
Sukhoi SU-26MX
Reported engine
Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
22,350 total30 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Takeoff on runway 11. Loss of control occurred early in the takeoff roll , the aircraft veered left and departed the runway. It became airborne for 4 seconds in a very nose high attitude and stalled from approximately 50 feet high. On ground contact the landing gear collapsed, prop struck, right wing aileron ripped off, motor mount and firewall damaged.

As the FAA filed it

TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 11. LOSS OF CONTROL OCCURRED EARLY IN THE TAKEOFF ROLL , THE AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. IT BECAME AIRBORNE FOR 4 SECONDS IN A VERY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE AND STALLED FROM APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET HIGH. ON GROUND CONTACT THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, PROP STRUCK, RIGHT WING AILERON RIPPED OFF, MOTOR MOUNT AND FIREWALL DAMAGED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.