What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(Incident summary)
On Wednesday, may 27, 2026, at approximately 11:00 am EDT, pilot privacy data omitted and passenger privacy data omitted arrived at cox field airstrip (NC81) in apex, north carolina, to pick up a rented Cheetah Xls special light-sport aircraft (s-lsa) from its owner, privacy data omitted upon arrival, they observed privacy data omitted servicing the aircraft's ignition system with the engine cowling removed. Although privacy data omitted mentioned a right-hand magneto issue to privacy data omitted, no magneto check was performed during the pre-flight engine run-up.
After departing cox field, privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted flew to Raleigh-east airport (W17) to conduct touch-and-go practice landings. Immediately following the initial touch-and-go takeoff, the engine sputtered and experienced a critical loss of power. Unable to maintain altitude or airspeed, the aircraft banked right and struck the tops of two semi-trailers parked in an adjacent field. The aircraft subsequently collided with a cluster of trees near the trailers before coming to rest on the ground.
Both privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted sustained severe impact injuries. Emergency responders extracted both occupants from the wreckage and transported them to a local hospital for emergency medical treatment.
(Investigation & findings)
On-site inspection (may 28, 2026): a federal aviation administration (FAA) safety inspector documented the scene. The aircraft was heavily fragmented. Main landing gear components were found approximately 1,100 feet past the end of runway 1, near semi-trailers used for demolition explosives storage. The main fuselage and a severed wing came to rest beyond a tree line, roughly 50 feet from the landing gear.
Witness & occupant statements: an eyewitness confirmed seeing the aircraft shortly after rotation with a sputtering engine that was unable to establish a climb. Statements from both the pilot and passenger confirmed that the owner had performed engine maintenance immediately prior to departure.
Wreckage examination (July 28, 2026): following wreckage recovery to a secure facility in apex, NC, an NTSB investigator examined the aircraft. The inspection revealed major unauthorized engine modifications, including the installation of non-certificated ignition system components.
Maintenance & certification review: aircraft records indicated that Mr. Wilk performed an annual/conformity inspection and extensive repairs on the aircraft in March 2026. However, certification records show Mr. Wilk held only a light-sport repairman inspection rating. Under FAA regulations, an inspection rating does not authorize a technician to perform maintenance, repairs, or modifications on an s-lsa.
privacy data omitted Unauthorized maintenance and uncertified engine modifications rendered the aircraft unairworthy and unsafe for flight, directly leading to the engine failure and subsequent accident.
As the FAA filed it
(INCIDENT SUMMARY)
ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 AM EDT, PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ARRIVED AT COX FIELD AIRSTRIP (NC81) IN APEX, NORTH CAROLINA, TO PICK UP A RENTED CHEETAH XLS SPECIAL LIGHT-SPORT AIRCRAFT (S-LSA) FROM ITS OWNER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ UPON ARRIVAL, THEY OBSERVED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SERVICING THE AIRCRAFT'S IGNITION SYSTEM WITH THE ENGINE COWLING REMOVED. ALTHOUGH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MENTIONED A RIGHT-HAND MAGNETO ISSUE TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, NO MAGNETO CHECK WAS PERFORMED DURING THE PRE-FLIGHT ENGINE RUN-UP.
AFTER DEPARTING COX FIELD, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLEW TO RALEIGH-EAST AIRPORT (W17) TO CONDUCT TOUCH-AND-GO PRACTICE LANDINGS. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE INITIAL TOUCH-AND-GO TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND EXPERIENCED A CRITICAL LOSS OF POWER. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED, THE AIRCRAFT BANKED RIGHT AND STRUCK THE TOPS OF TWO SEMI-TRAILERS PARKED IN AN ADJACENT FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY COLLIDED WITH A CLUSTER OF TREES NEAR THE TRAILERS BEFORE COMING TO REST ON THE GROUND.
BOTH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUSTAINED SEVERE IMPACT INJURIES. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS EXTRACTED BOTH OCCUPANTS FROM THE WRECKAGE AND TRANSPORTED THEM TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT.
(INVESTIGATION & FINDINGS)
ON-SITE INSPECTION (MAY 28, 2026): A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) SAFETY INSPECTOR DOCUMENTED THE SCENE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEAVILY FRAGMENTED. MAIN LANDING GEAR COMPONENTS WERE FOUND APPROXIMATELY 1,100 FEET PAST THE END OF RUNWAY 1, NEAR SEMI-TRAILERS USED FOR DEMOLITION EXPLOSIVES STORAGE. THE MAIN FUSELAGE AND A SEVERED WING CAME TO REST BEYOND A TREE LINE, ROUGHLY 50 FEET FROM THE LANDING GEAR.
WITNESS & OCCUPANT STATEMENTS: AN EYEWITNESS CONFIRMED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT SHORTLY AFTER ROTATION WITH A SPUTTERING ENGINE THAT WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH A CLIMB. STATEMENTS FROM BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER CONFIRMED THAT THE OWNER HAD PERFORMED ENGINE MAINTENANCE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.
WRECKAGE EXAMINATION (JULY 28, 2026): FOLLOWING WRECKAGE RECOVERY TO A SECURE FACILITY IN APEX, NC, AN NTSB INVESTIGATOR EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT. THE INSPECTION REVEALED MAJOR UNAUTHORIZED ENGINE MODIFICATIONS, INCLUDING THE INSTALLATION OF NON-CERTIFICATED IGNITION SYSTEM COMPONENTS.
MAINTENANCE & CERTIFICATION REVIEW: AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATED THAT MR. WILK PERFORMED AN ANNUAL/CONFORMITY INSPECTION AND EXTENSIVE REPAIRS ON THE AIRCRAFT IN MARCH 2026. HOWEVER, CERTIFICATION RECORDS SHOW MR. WILK HELD ONLY A LIGHT-SPORT REPAIRMAN INSPECTION RATING. UNDER FAA REGULATIONS, AN INSPECTION RATING DOES NOT AUTHORIZE A TECHNICIAN TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE, REPAIRS, OR MODIFICATIONS ON AN S-LSA.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ UNAUTHORIZED MAINTENANCE AND UNCERTIFIED ENGINE MODIFICATIONS RENDERED THE AIRCRAFT UNAIRWORTHY AND UNSAFE FOR FLIGHT, DIRECTLY LEADING TO THE ENGINE FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.