What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 17, 2026 at approximately 1210 local time, accident aircraft attempted to depart 66TN, a private use airport 10NM south krnc. The takeoff was made from runway 09 under VMC conditions.
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft veered to the left side of runway 09 due to unknown reasons and struck a small tree with the tip cap of the left hand wing, knocking the lens cover from the left hand position light.
Immediately after rotation, the left hand side of the horizontal stabilator struck a 4 inch wide, 28 inch tall irrigation pipe located immediately to the left of the edge of runway 09, causing an approximately 18 inch section of the stabilator to depart the aircraft and come to rest on the runway surface. Paint transfer on the irrigation pipe, and damage signature on the horizontal stabilator confirms the impact, along with cell phone video taken on the ground.
The flight crew continued the takeoff, though the aircraft climbed slowly, and struck a tree on the departure path with the main landing gear as the aircraft climbed away from the airport. This impact is also captured on cell phone video from the ground.
The accident aircraft climbed to approximately 500FT AGL, and turned north towards krnc. Approximately 5 minutes into the flight, the aircraft entered a near-vertical dive, and impacted a corn field approximately 6NM north of 66TN. The aircraft experienced a high-speed high-angle impact, and was substantially damaged. Both occupants suffered fatal injuries.
The main portion of the wreckage was located in a corn field approximately 100 feet north of the treeline. Both wings, the cabin, engine, horizontal tail, and the right hand side of the horizontal stabilator were located at the point of impact. The right hand cockpit door was located approximately 50 feet north of the impact point, and the left hand side of the horizontal stabilator was located approximately 150 feet north of the impact point. The left hand portion of the horizontal stabilator showed little evidence of ground impact, and showed evidence of in-flight separation consistent with overload failure.
Both fuel tanks ruptured, and fuel was thrown up to 75 feet from the aircraft, blighting the corn to the north-west of the impact point in a 45 degree arc. There was no post-impact fire.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 17, 2026 AT APPROXIMATELY 1210 LOCAL TIME, ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO DEPART 66TN, A PRIVATE USE AIRPORT 10NM SOUTH KRNC. THE TAKEOFF WAS MADE FROM RUNWAY 09 UNDER VMC CONDITIONS.
DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 09 DUE TO UNKNOWN REASONS AND STRUCK A SMALL TREE WITH THE TIP CAP OF THE LEFT HAND WING, KNOCKING THE LENS COVER FROM THE LEFT HAND POSITION LIGHT.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROTATION, THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR STRUCK A 4 INCH WIDE, 28 INCH TALL IRRIGATION PIPE LOCATED IMMEDIATELY TO THE LEFT OF THE EDGE OF RUNWAY 09, CAUSING AN APPROXIMATELY 18 INCH SECTION OF THE STABILATOR TO DEPART THE AIRCRAFT AND COME TO REST ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE. PAINT TRANSFER ON THE IRRIGATION PIPE, AND DAMAGE SIGNATURE ON THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR CONFIRMS THE IMPACT, ALONG WITH CELL PHONE VIDEO TAKEN ON THE GROUND.
THE FLIGHT CREW CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF, THOUGH THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED SLOWLY, AND STRUCK A TREE ON THE DEPARTURE PATH WITH THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT. THIS IMPACT IS ALSO CAPTURED ON CELL PHONE VIDEO FROM THE GROUND.
THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 500FT AGL, AND TURNED NORTH TOWARDS KRNC. APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A NEAR-VERTICAL DIVE, AND IMPACTED A CORN FIELD APPROXIMATELY 6NM NORTH OF 66TN. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A HIGH-SPEED HIGH-ANGLE IMPACT, AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. BOTH OCCUPANTS SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES.
THE MAIN PORTION OF THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A CORN FIELD APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET NORTH OF THE TREELINE. BOTH WINGS, THE CABIN, ENGINE, HORIZONTAL TAIL, AND THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR WERE LOCATED AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE RIGHT HAND COCKPIT DOOR WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET NORTH OF THE IMPACT POINT, AND THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET NORTH OF THE IMPACT POINT. THE LEFT HAND PORTION OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR SHOWED LITTLE EVIDENCE OF GROUND IMPACT, AND SHOWED EVIDENCE OF IN-FLIGHT SEPARATION CONSISTENT WITH OVERLOAD FAILURE.
BOTH FUEL TANKS RUPTURED, AND FUEL WAS THROWN UP TO 75 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT, BLIGHTING THE CORN TO THE NORTH-WEST OF THE IMPACT POINT IN A 45 DEGREE ARC. THERE WAS NO POST-IMPACT FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7637V · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.