20260620008119A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Tonner Brian P CA6-WB · Nicholasville, KY · June 20, 2026

Date: June 20, 2026 · 08:51 local
Place: Nicholasville, KY
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N82BT
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR26FA223
Reported as: Tonner Brian P CA6-WB
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,048 total10 in the last 90 days

N82BTRegistered now · Tonner Brian P CA6-WBS/N 97153 · Built 2004 Airframe modelTonner Brian P CA6-WB Engine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On 06/20/2026 at 0840 eastern time the aircraft departed the airport southbound. The pilot checked in with departure and approach control. The last ATC clearance was to maintain VFR at 4500 feet. The aircraft began losing altitude and ATC called out to the aircraft. There was no response. The last radar contact was 8 miles south of the airport. The aircraft experienced an in-flight breakup for unknown reasons. The debris field was approximately 2 acres. The wings, horizontal stabilizers, and rudder were seperated from the fuselage. There were impact markings in the ground from the engine/propeller, both wings, and the fuselage. The fuselage was lying on its left side. The engine/propeller were seperated from the engine mount and was located forward of the fuselage in an inverted position. There was evidence of the grass around the wings experiencing blight from the fuel coming out of the wings. There were two fatalities, with no post impact fire.

As the FAA filed it

ON 06/20/2026 AT 0840 EASTERN TIME THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE AIRPORT SOUTHBOUND. THE PILOT CHECKED IN WITH DEPARTURE AND APPROACH CONTROL. THE LAST ATC CLEARANCE WAS TO MAINTAIN VFR AT 4500 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE AND ATC CALLED OUT TO THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE LAST RADAR CONTACT WAS 8 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 ACRES. THE WINGS, HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS, AND RUDDER WERE SEPERATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THERE WERE IMPACT MARKINGS IN THE GROUND FROM THE ENGINE/PROPELLER, BOTH WINGS, AND THE FUSELAGE. THE FUSELAGE WAS LYING ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE ENGINE/PROPELLER WERE SEPERATED FROM THE ENGINE MOUNT AND WAS LOCATED FORWARD OF THE FUSELAGE IN AN INVERTED POSITION. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF THE GRASS AROUND THE WINGS EXPERIENCING BLIGHT FROM THE FUEL COMING OUT OF THE WINGS. THERE WERE TWO FATALITIES, WITH 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.

NTSB WPR26FA223Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldPreliminary reportNicholasville, KYOn June 20, 2026, about 0846 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Comp Air CA6-WB, N82BT, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Nicholasville, Kentucky. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated…Jun 20, 2026 · Destroyed