What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted Registration: privacy data omitted make: Cessna aircraft model: 150H serial number: 150H when: April 12, 2026 where: Marco Island Exec mky what: on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at approximately 1216 local, a Cessna 150H, privacy data omitted, experienced engine issues while attempting to land, clipped a tree and landed in a burm adjacent to a road near Marco Island airport (mrk/kmky), Marco Island, Florida. The sole pilot onboard was not injured.
On Sunday, April 12, 2026, at approximately 1215 eastern standard time, privacy data omitted was operating a part
91 Flight from lake city, Florida, and reported an engine failure while attempting to land at Marco
Island executive airport (mky). The aircraft attempted to land on main sail drive adjacent to the
Airport, clipped a roadway sign, and subsequently impacted a tree line near the airport entrance.
The aircraft had one soul on board, identified as mark thomas armstrong, who held commercial pilot
privacy data omitted. privacy data omitted Held a rotorcraft-helicopter rating with an instrument
Helicopter rating and no limitations. He was performing a solo cross-country flight to transition
To an airplane rating.
Wreckage and fuel examination
A post-crash examination of the wreckage revealed that the left fuel tank was not breached. It was examined with no odor or presence of fuel detected. In the cockpit, an examination of the fuel gauges with master power applied indicated that the fuel level was below empty for both the left and right fuel tanks. Sumping the left tank fuel strainer revealed no presence or indication of fuel. The left fuel tank cap was removed and examined, with no fuel found. Similarly, sumping the
Right fuel tank strainer indicated no fuel. The right fuel tank cap was removed and examined, revealing only a trace presence of fuel.
Further examination of the right tank revealed that it was not breached. The wings were removed to determine fuel quantity; approximately 2 gallons of fuel were recovered from the right-wing tank, while no fuel could be recovered from the left wing tank. A post-crash analysis of the recovered fuel revealed a bluish tint and a lead-like odor, indicating aviation gasoline (avgas) with no water contamination.
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Engine and propeller examination
A post-crash examination of the engine revealed minor damage to the propeller. The straight blade tips indicated that the propeller was not turning at the time of the accident. The engine rotated freely with no binding or stoppages.
Fuel purchases
Fuel records at lake city revealed that Mr. Armstrong purchased 12.2 gallons of aviation fuel onapril 12, 2026, at 0840 local time.
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REGISTRATION: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MAKE: CESSNA AIRCRAFT MODEL: 150H SERIAL NUMBER: 150H WHEN: APRIL 12, 2026 WHERE: MARCO ISLAND EXEC MKY WHAT: ON SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2026 AT APPROXIMATELY 1216 LOCAL, A CESSNA 150H, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, EXPERIENCED ENGINE ISSUES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND, CLIPPED A TREE AND LANDED IN A BURM ADJACENT TO A ROAD NEAR MARCO ISLAND AIRPORT (MRK/KMKY), MARCO ISLAND, FLORIDA. THE SOLE PILOT ONBOARD WAS NOT INJURED.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1215 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS OPERATING A PART
91 FLIGHT FROM LAKE CITY, FLORIDA, AND REPORTED AN ENGINE FAILURE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT MARCO
ISLAND EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (MKY). THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON MAIN SAIL DRIVE ADJACENT TO THE
AIRPORT, CLIPPED A ROADWAY SIGN, AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED A TREE LINE NEAR THE AIRPORT ENTRANCE.
THE AIRCRAFT HAD ONE SOUL ON BOARD, IDENTIFIED AS MARK THOMAS ARMSTRONG, WHO HELD COMMERCIAL PILOT
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HELD A ROTORCRAFT-HELICOPTER RATING WITH AN INSTRUMENT
HELICOPTER RATING AND NO LIMITATIONS. HE WAS PERFORMING A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO TRANSITION
TO AN AIRPLANE RATING.
WRECKAGE AND FUEL EXAMINATION
A POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS NOT BREACHED. IT WAS EXAMINED WITH NO ODOR OR PRESENCE OF FUEL DETECTED. IN THE COCKPIT, AN EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL GAUGES WITH MASTER POWER APPLIED INDICATED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL WAS BELOW EMPTY FOR BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS. SUMPING THE LEFT TANK FUEL STRAINER REVEALED NO PRESENCE OR INDICATION OF FUEL. THE LEFT FUEL TANK CAP WAS REMOVED AND EXAMINED, WITH NO FUEL FOUND. SIMILARLY, SUMPING THE
RIGHT FUEL TANK STRAINER INDICATED NO FUEL. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CAP WAS REMOVED AND EXAMINED, REVEALING ONLY A TRACE PRESENCE OF FUEL.
FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT TANK REVEALED THAT IT WAS NOT BREACHED. THE WINGS WERE REMOVED TO DETERMINE FUEL QUANTITY; APPROXIMATELY 2 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE RECOVERED FROM THE RIGHT-WING TANK, WHILE NO FUEL COULD BE RECOVERED FROM THE LEFT WING TANK. A POST-CRASH ANALYSIS OF THE RECOVERED FUEL REVEALED A BLUISH TINT AND A LEAD-LIKE ODOR, INDICATING AVIATION GASOLINE (AVGAS) WITH NO WATER CONTAMINATION.
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ENGINE AND PROPELLER EXAMINATION
A POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER. THE STRAIGHT BLADE TIPS INDICATED THAT THE PROPELLER WAS NOT TURNING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE ROTATED FREELY WITH NO BINDING OR STOPPAGES.
FUEL PURCHASES
FUEL RECORDS AT LAKE CITY REVEALED THAT MR. ARMSTRONG PURCHASED 12.2 GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL ONAPRIL 12, 2026, AT 0840 LOCAL TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.