What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 9, 2026, at approximately 1543Z, an experimental amateur-built aircraft (stitts playmate SA-11-A) was involved in an event on a grass runway at an airfield in Green Cove springs, FL. The pilot was conducting a solo currency flight to check competency prior to carrying passengers. During the landing attempt, the pilot stabilized on a steep approach at approximately 75 mph but misjudged the altitude and failed to initiate a landing flare. The aircraft was flown directly into the ground, flipped, and came to a rest inverted. The impact sheared off one wheel and ejected the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) onto the airstrip. The pilot confirmed the aircraft was mechanically flawless, attributing the crash entirely to pilot error caused by a loss of depth perception.
Initial extrication attempts by local residents were unsuccessful until local fire rescue arrived and safely removed the pilot from the inverted aircraft. The pilot did not lose consciousness from the impact itself, but reported a brief loss of consciousness due to being suspended upside down. Minor chemical burns were sustained on the face and shoulder due to a fuel leak. The pilot remained conscious and mobile. Therefore, an initial request for a helicopter transport was canceled. The pilot was transported to a local medical center via ground ambulance, has since been successfully discharged, and is currently resting at home.
Local law enforcement and highway patrol were notified and managed the on-scene response. Following comprehensive photographic documentation by crime scene investigators, which included capturing ground impact marks, authorization was granted to local airfield leadership to move the aircraft. The wreckage was cleared from the active runway to safely accommodate a scheduled memorial flyover.
At the time of the flight, the pilot was operating under sport pilot/basic med rules utilizing a driver’s license, as their traditional basic med documentation had lapsed. The pilot has accumulated over 1172 total flight hours; however, they reported 1 flight hours in the preceding 90 days and very limited flying over the past year. Following the event, the pilot unequivocally stated an intention to permanently end their flying career and voluntarily surrender their FAA pilot certificate. A review of the aircraft's data indicated that the aircraft's registration was current, and while a sale to a prospective buyer was pending, the pilot remained the factual owner.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 9, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1543Z, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT (STITTS PLAYMATE SA-11-A) WAS INVOLVED IN AN EVENT ON A GRASS RUNWAY AT AN AIRFIELD IN GREEN COVE SPRINGS, FL. THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A SOLO CURRENCY FLIGHT TO CHECK COMPETENCY PRIOR TO CARRYING PASSENGERS. DURING THE LANDING ATTEMPT, THE PILOT STABILIZED ON A STEEP APPROACH AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH BUT MISJUDGED THE ALTITUDE AND FAILED TO INITIATE A LANDING FLARE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN DIRECTLY INTO THE GROUND, FLIPPED, AND CAME TO A REST INVERTED. THE IMPACT SHEARED OFF ONE WHEEL AND EJECTED THE EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT) ONTO THE AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT CONFIRMED THE AIRCRAFT WAS MECHANICALLY FLAWLESS, ATTRIBUTING THE CRASH ENTIRELY TO PILOT ERROR CAUSED BY A LOSS OF DEPTH PERCEPTION.
INITIAL EXTRICATION ATTEMPTS BY LOCAL RESIDENTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL UNTIL LOCAL FIRE RESCUE ARRIVED AND SAFELY REMOVED THE PILOT FROM THE INVERTED AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT DID NOT LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS FROM THE IMPACT ITSELF, BUT REPORTED A BRIEF LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS DUE TO BEING SUSPENDED UPSIDE DOWN. MINOR CHEMICAL BURNS WERE SUSTAINED ON THE FACE AND SHOULDER DUE TO A FUEL LEAK. THE PILOT REMAINED CONSCIOUS AND MOBILE. THEREFORE, AN INITIAL REQUEST FOR A HELICOPTER TRANSPORT WAS CANCELED. THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL MEDICAL CENTER VIA GROUND AMBULANCE, HAS SINCE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DISCHARGED, AND IS CURRENTLY RESTING AT HOME.
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HIGHWAY PATROL WERE NOTIFIED AND MANAGED THE ON-SCENE RESPONSE. FOLLOWING COMPREHENSIVE PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION BY CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS, WHICH INCLUDED CAPTURING GROUND IMPACT MARKS, AUTHORIZATION WAS GRANTED TO LOCAL AIRFIELD LEADERSHIP TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT. THE WRECKAGE WAS CLEARED FROM THE ACTIVE RUNWAY TO SAFELY ACCOMMODATE A SCHEDULED MEMORIAL FLYOVER.
AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT WAS OPERATING UNDER SPORT PILOT/BASIC MED RULES UTILIZING A DRIVER’S LICENSE, AS THEIR TRADITIONAL BASIC MED DOCUMENTATION HAD LAPSED. THE PILOT HAS ACCUMULATED OVER 1172 TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS; HOWEVER, THEY REPORTED 1 FLIGHT HOURS IN THE PRECEDING 90 DAYS AND VERY LIMITED FLYING OVER THE PAST YEAR. FOLLOWING THE EVENT, THE PILOT UNEQUIVOCALLY STATED AN INTENTION TO PERMANENTLY END THEIR FLYING CAREER AND VOLUNTARILY SURRENDER THEIR FAA PILOT CERTIFICATE. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT'S DATA INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S REGISTRATION WAS CURRENT, AND WHILE A SALE TO A PROSPECTIVE BUYER WAS PENDING, THE PILOT REMAINED THE FACTUAL OWNER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.