What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
FAA examination of aircraft N156WM initiated on December 30, 2025 at hwo airport, secure
Hangar. Aircraft was observed parked in a maintenance hangar preliminary examination of the
Fuselage, main landing gear/nose landing gear, left and right wings including ailerons, flaps
Upper and lower surfaces, tips, fairings, and trim system observed to be intact with no obvious
Evidence of damage associated with the event. Examination of the aircraft empennage identified
Damage to the right portion of the horizontal stabilator assembly leading edge and adjacent
Upper metal skin segment consistent with impact damage, presenting as a large dent in the
Outboard segment, upper and lower camber of the stabilator leading edge with associated
Wrinkling of the surrounding area, approximately 14 inches in length, and an approximate depth
Of one and a half inches, evidence of organic matter (stains) consistent with dried blood were
Observed no residual material or feathers were observed at the time of the examination, it is
Unclear if the area had been cleaned or wiped prior to FAA examination. The entire stabilator/
Elevator assembly was observed to have been previously removed with mounting points and
Associated fairings, components and hardware exposed. The upper surface of the stabilator
Segment exhibited evidence of damage consistent with impact damage, consisting of wrinkles
And deformation of the upper skin panel surface beginning at the leading edge row of fasteners.
The stabilator segment upper skin panel and leading edge was observed to have been previously
Removed exposing the internal structure of the stabilator section, on visual inspection the
Forward and aft spar sections were observed to be intact, with no initial evidence of buckling or
Deformation to the primary structure or fasteners other than those removed to gain access to the
Internal structure of the elevator assembly. On visual inspection the left and right elevator tips,
Trailing edges, lower skin segments/surfaces and attachment points/fittings, identified no readily
Observable evidence of damage or deformation. The vertical stabilizer, rudder assemblies and
Attach fittings exhibited no readily observable evidence of damage on visual inspection. Function
Checks of the flight control systems were not observed at the time of examination due to
Previous disassembly of the flight control system.
As the FAA filed it
FAA EXAMINATION OF AIRCRAFT N156WM INITIATED ON DECEMBER 30, 2025 AT HWO AIRPORT, SECURE
HANGAR. AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED PARKED IN A MAINTENANCE HANGAR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE
FUSELAGE, MAIN LANDING GEAR/NOSE LANDING GEAR, LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS INCLUDING AILERONS, FLAPS
UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES, TIPS, FAIRINGS, AND TRIM SYSTEM OBSERVED TO BE INTACT WITH NO OBVIOUS
EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE EVENT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT EMPENNAGE IDENTIFIED
DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT PORTION OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR ASSEMBLY LEADING EDGE AND ADJACENT
UPPER METAL SKIN SEGMENT CONSISTENT WITH IMPACT DAMAGE, PRESENTING AS A LARGE DENT IN THE
OUTBOARD SEGMENT, UPPER AND LOWER CAMBER OF THE STABILATOR LEADING EDGE WITH ASSOCIATED
WRINKLING OF THE SURROUNDING AREA, APPROXIMATELY 14 INCHES IN LENGTH, AND AN APPROXIMATE DEPTH
OF ONE AND A HALF INCHES, EVIDENCE OF ORGANIC MATTER (STAINS) CONSISTENT WITH DRIED BLOOD WERE
OBSERVED NO RESIDUAL MATERIAL OR FEATHERS WERE OBSERVED AT THE TIME OF THE EXAMINATION, IT IS
UNCLEAR IF THE AREA HAD BEEN CLEANED OR WIPED PRIOR TO FAA EXAMINATION. THE ENTIRE STABILATOR/
ELEVATOR ASSEMBLY WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY REMOVED WITH MOUNTING POINTS AND
ASSOCIATED FAIRINGS, COMPONENTS AND HARDWARE EXPOSED. THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE STABILATOR
SEGMENT EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH IMPACT DAMAGE, CONSISTING OF WRINKLES
AND DEFORMATION OF THE UPPER SKIN PANEL SURFACE BEGINNING AT THE LEADING EDGE ROW OF FASTENERS.
THE STABILATOR SEGMENT UPPER SKIN PANEL AND LEADING EDGE WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY
REMOVED EXPOSING THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE STABILATOR SECTION, ON VISUAL INSPECTION THE
FORWARD AND AFT SPAR SECTIONS WERE OBSERVED TO BE INTACT, WITH NO INITIAL EVIDENCE OF BUCKLING OR
DEFORMATION TO THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE OR FASTENERS OTHER THAN THOSE REMOVED TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE
INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE ELEVATOR ASSEMBLY. ON VISUAL INSPECTION THE LEFT AND RIGHT ELEVATOR TIPS,
TRAILING EDGES, LOWER SKIN SEGMENTS/SURFACES AND ATTACHMENT POINTS/FITTINGS, IDENTIFIED NO READILY
OBSERVABLE EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE OR DEFORMATION. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, RUDDER ASSEMBLIES AND
ATTACH FITTINGS EXHIBITED NO READILY OBSERVABLE EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE ON VISUAL INSPECTION. FUNCTION
CHECKS OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS WERE NOT OBSERVED AT THE TIME OF EXAMINATION DUE TO
PREVIOUS DISASSEMBLY OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.