20260817012579A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aeroprakt Manufacturing SP Zoo A22LS · Searcy, AR · August 17, 2026

Date: August 17, 2026 · 14:58 local
Place: Searcy, AR
Airport: Searcy Municipal
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N22FC
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN26LA297
Reported as: Aeroprakt Manufacturing SP Zoo A22LS
Reported engine: ROTAX 912ULS series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,076 total

N22FCRegistered now · Aeroprakt Manufacturing SP Zoo A22LSS/N 373 · Built 2020 Airframe modelAeroprakt Manufacturing SP Zoo A22LS Engine modelRotax 912ULS series4 cycle

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.

The pic/cfi was conducting a training flight with a student. Prior to the flight, the weather briefing from aviationweather. Gov showed no concerning weather events. Approximately 1 hour into the flight, the CFI noticed a large thunderstorm moving into the area. He decided to terminate the flight and return to ksrc. At 5 miles from the airport, AWOS reported winds at 210 degrees at 6 knots. The CFI took control of the aircraft about 1 mile out. On approach, the cross winds picked up strength. The PIC states that as he neared the ground, he drastically lost lift and the aircraft touched down and bounced. He atempted to apply power, but a heavy gust turned the aircraft sideways with their back to the wind. The aircraft failed to climb and impacted the ground between the runway and the parallel taxiway. It slid across the taxiway, coming to rest in the grass between the taxiway and ramp. Sustaining sustantial damage. The airport surveillance video supports the PIC statement.

As the FAA filed it

THE PIC/CFI WAS CONDUCTING A TRAINING FLIGHT WITH A STUDENT. PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, THE WEATHER BRIEFING FROM AVIATIONWEATHER.GOV SHOWED NO CONCERNING WEATHER EVENTS. APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT, THE CFI NOTICED A LARGE THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO THE AREA. HE DECIDED TO TERMINATE THE FLIGHT AND RETURN TO KSRC. AT 5 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, AWOS REPORTED WINDS AT 210 DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS. THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 1 MILE OUT. ON APPROACH, THE CROSS WINDS PICKED UP STRENGTH. THE PIC STATES THAT AS HE NEARED THE GROUND, HE DRASTICALLY LOST LIFT AND THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND BOUNCED. HE ATEMPTED TO APPLY POWER, BUT A HEAVY GUST TURNED THE AIRCRAFT SIDEWAYS WITH THEIR BACK TO THE WIND. THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO CLIMB AND IMPACTED THE GROUND BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. IT SLID ACROSS THE TAXIWAY, COMING TO REST IN THE GRASS BETWEEN THE TAXIWAY AND RAMP. SUSTAINING SUSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRPORT SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SUPPORTS THE PIC STATEMENT.

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 CEN26LA297Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportSearcy, ARThe flight instructor’s failure to maintain airplane control during landing in gusting wind conditions.Aug 17, 2026 · Substantial damage