What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
ASI arrived onscene at approx. 1600 local time. I was greeted and briefed by 2 local suwannee county sheriff deputies. I was provided the pilot's name and information as well as the pilot's relative contact information. Received funeral home as well as m.e.'s contact information.
Spoke to only eye-witness, (land-owner), a cattle farmer regarding what he saw. He stated that he witnessed the aircraft traveling at about 300 feet above the ground from southeast to northwest. He stated that he normally does see a lot of low airplane traffic almost daily. (There is a private airpark 2 miles to the north of his property). He also stated that he sees this specific airplane fly around his property frequently. He stated that the airplane sounded like it was running normally at first, and then it made a "flapping" sound like the fan blades on a fan when they hit something else. (His words) then he said it got quiet after that, and that the aircraft immediately went into a 45 degree nose down attitude, performed a 180 degree spiral and then went straight down where it impacted the ground nose first. There was no evidence of an in-flight or post crash fire. The wreckage present was a severe impact with the ground, in a vertical position with the propellor and engine approximately 2-3 feet below the surface. Tail empennage was broken completely off from fuselage approximately 2-3 feet behind cabin area. (Fuselage is fiberglass construction) fuel odors were present with a slight visible wetness in immediate area. (Fuel tank was located behind the cabin area). The left wing was detached from the aircraft and about 20 feet away to the north of the main body of wreckage. I was able to move the elevator itself and saw continuity of the control cable as it led into the cabin area, unable to completely verify due to condition of wreckage. Verified aileron movement via a bar that ran internally within each wing. No continuity within fuselage area due to damage present. NTSB present on 4/17/2026. Extensive photographs taken.
As the FAA filed it
ASI ARRIVED ONSCENE AT APPROX. 1600 LOCAL TIME. I WAS GREETED AND BRIEFED BY 2 LOCAL SUWANNEE COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTIES. I WAS PROVIDED THE PILOT'S NAME AND INFORMATION AS WELL AS THE PILOT'S RELATIVE CONTACT INFORMATION. RECEIVED FUNERAL HOME AS WELL AS M.E.'S CONTACT INFORMATION.
SPOKE TO ONLY EYE-WITNESS, (LAND-OWNER), A CATTLE FARMER REGARDING WHAT HE SAW. HE STATED THAT HE WITNESSED THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELING AT ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND FROM SOUTHEAST TO NORTHWEST. HE STATED THAT HE NORMALLY DOES SEE A LOT OF LOW AIRPLANE TRAFFIC ALMOST DAILY. (THERE IS A PRIVATE AIRPARK 2 MILES TO THE NORTH OF HIS PROPERTY). HE ALSO STATED THAT HE SEES THIS SPECIFIC AIRPLANE FLY AROUND HIS PROPERTY FREQUENTLY. HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS RUNNING NORMALLY AT FIRST, AND THEN IT MADE A "FLAPPING" SOUND LIKE THE FAN BLADES ON A FAN WHEN THEY HIT SOMETHING ELSE. (HIS WORDS) THEN HE SAID IT GOT QUIET AFTER THAT, AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO A 45 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, PERFORMED A 180 DEGREE SPIRAL AND THEN WENT STRAIGHT DOWN WHERE IT IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE FIRST. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLIGHT OR POST CRASH FIRE. THE WRECKAGE PRESENT WAS A SEVERE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND, IN A VERTICAL POSITION WITH THE PROPELLOR AND ENGINE APPROXIMATELY 2-3 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE. TAIL EMPENNAGE WAS BROKEN COMPLETELY OFF FROM FUSELAGE APPROXIMATELY 2-3 FEET BEHIND CABIN AREA. (FUSELAGE IS FIBERGLASS CONSTRUCTION) FUEL ODORS WERE PRESENT WITH A SLIGHT VISIBLE WETNESS IN IMMEDIATE AREA. (FUEL TANK WAS LOCATED BEHIND THE CABIN AREA). THE LEFT WING WAS DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND ABOUT 20 FEET AWAY TO THE NORTH OF THE MAIN BODY OF WRECKAGE. I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE ELEVATOR ITSELF AND SAW CONTINUITY OF THE CONTROL CABLE AS IT LED INTO THE CABIN AREA, UNABLE TO COMPLETELY VERIFY DUE TO CONDITION OF WRECKAGE. VERIFIED AILERON MOVEMENT VIA A BAR THAT RAN INTERNALLY WITHIN EACH WING. NO CONTINUITY WITHIN FUSELAGE AREA DUE TO DAMAGE PRESENT. NTSB PRESENT ON 4/17/2026. EXTENSIVE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.