- Date
- August 17, 2026, 14:58 local (19:58 UTC)
- Place
- Searcy, AR
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N22FCAeroprakt Manufacturing SP Zoo A22LS
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Windshear or thunderstorm
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Little Rock FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260817012579A
- Case key
- 203647
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight instructor’s failure to maintain airplane control during landing in gusting wind conditions.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that during the instructional flight, a thunderstorm developed in the area so they returned to the airport. About five miles from the airport, he obtained the weather information and noted the wind was from 210° at 7 knots, but the wind speed increased as they approached the airport. On short final the airplane encountered an unexpected windshear, which resulted in a significant sink rate. Airport surveillance video of the accident revealed that the airplane touched down with the right main landing gear first, then veered to the left side of the runway and into the grass. As he applied full power to go around, a gust of wind lifted the right wing, the left wing struck the ground, and the airplane spun left about 360°. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22FC
- Reported as
- Aeroprakt Manufacturing SP Zoo A22LS
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 373
- Built
- 2020
- Airframe hours
- 2,351
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying C Aviation, doing business as Flying C Aviation
- Registered owner
- Blackhawk Holding Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 22, 2026
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- SRC · Searcy Rgnl, runway 01/19, 6,008 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 3, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,093 total · 37 in this make and model · 1,032 as pilot in command · 275 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KSRC
- METAR
- KSRC 171956Z AUTO 22007G16KT 190V260 10SM +TSRA FEW024 OVC060 24/21 A3007 RMK AO2 PK WND 28030/1927 WSHFT 1917 LTG DSNT ALQDS TSB08RAE01B21 SLP177 P0012 T02390206 $=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 8, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.