# NTSB DCA26FA019: Air Vev AIR ZERO2, N514AX, Indiantown, FL, October 23, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Field · Final report - Date: October 23, 2025, 12:11 local (16:11 UTC) - Place: Indiantown, FL - Coordinates: 27.031704, -80.436201 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.0317&lon=-80.4362&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 30, 2026 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Air VEV - NTSB case key (mKey): 201917 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA26FA019 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/201917/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=201917 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26FA019 ## Probable cause A cascading shutoff of multiple aft motors due to a sudden increase in motor loads during maneuvering, resulting in a loss of control. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Power plant](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057100): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Capability exceeded (probable cause); cases with it: [Air Vev AIR ZERO2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057100/cases.md?model=05642MK), [All aircraft, 198 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057100/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: pitch control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Capability exceeded; cases with it: [Air Vev AIR ZERO2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md?model=05642MK), [All aircraft, 526 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Air Vev AIR ZERO2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05642MK), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Air Vev AIR ZERO2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=05642MK), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Air Vev AIR ZERO2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05642MK), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342); cases with it: [Air Vev AIR ZERO2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=05642MK), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) ## Analysis On October 23, 2025, about 1211 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), an experimental Air VEV, Inc. Zero 2 advanced air mobility (AAM) electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, N514AX, lost control while maneuvering to land at Indiantown Airport (X58), Indiantown, Florida. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was operated by a remote pilot as an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certificate of Authorization (COA). The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. There were no injuries. The Air VEV Zero 2 is equipped with 8 coaxial pairs of electric engines, each with 4 fixed-pitch propeller blades (figure 1). The airframe has a fixed quad-cycle landing gear. Figure 1. Air VEV Zero 2. (Source: Air VEV) The aircraft is flown visual line of sight (VLOS) by a remote pilot. A ground control station operator monitors telemetry, aircraft system status, and signal status. The remote pilot and ground control station operator are in communication with each other. According to the remote pilot and ground control station operator, the aircraft was flying a circuit pattern with no anomalies for the first completed circuit. During the second circuit, the motor temperatures began to increase. As a result, the remote pilot stated he began a descent and slowed the aircraft to prepare for landing. A ground witness video, which captured the last 8 seconds of the accident flight, showed the aircraft was flying level when it suddenly pitched up, near vertically, and then rapidly descended sideways (left wing down) to the ground until impact. The airframe manufacturer conducted postaccident analysis and testing of exemplar motors electronic speed controllers. Testing showed that high electrical current rate spikes could result in a shutdown of the motor as a hardware protection feature. Sudden increases in motor loads, such as during maneuvering, could result in these current rate spikes. During the accident flight, one of the aft motors likely shut down due to an irregular current spike caused by a sudden increase of load due to maneuvers. The shutdown of an aft motor resulted in a sudden increased load on adjacent aft motors that also led them to shut down. As the forward motors and propellers continued to produce thrust, the aircraft pitched up abruptly once thrust from the aft motors were lost. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N514AX](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N514AX), registered now, S/N 1792C00000000073D (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIR VEV INC AIR ZERO2 - Registry model: [Air Vev AIR ZERO2](https://openairdocs.org/model/air-vev-air-zero2) (registry code 05642MK) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Powered-lift, unmanned - Serial number: P912 - Year built: 2024 - Airframe hours: 1.1 - Engines: MGM COMPRO REB 60 96 horsepower electric; MGM COMPRO REB 60 96 horsepower electric; MGM COMPRO REB 60 96 horsepower electric; MGM COMPRO REB 60 96 horsepower electric; MGM COMPRO REB 60 96 horsepower electric; MGM COMPRO REB 60 96 horsepower electric; MGM COMPRO REB 60 96 horsepower electric; MGM COMPRO REB 60 96 horsepower electric - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Flight test, Part 91 - Operator: Air Vev Inc - Registered owner: Air Vev Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, October 18, 2025 - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: X58, Indiantown, runway 31, 6,300 × 75 ft, grass/turf - Equipment: Video recording device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 38; injuries: none; private, foreign; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 22, 2025; seat: none; restraint: none; flight hours: 327 total, 7 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: KSUA, 15 nm away - METAR: METAR KSUA 231147Z 32005KT 10SM SCT023 SCT035 25/23 A3002= ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20251023016499A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251023016499A), Oct 23, 2025: Air Vev, Inc AIR ZERO 2, Indiantown, FL, Destroyed. Airport GPS coordinates (degrees, minutes, seconds): latitude: 27°02'15.00"n, longitude: 80°26'27.60"w. Actual aircraft resting site GPS coordinates: (degrees,… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 30, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=201917. 3.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20460974&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%206120%20DCA26FA019_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Air vev employee statements (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 44 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20461621&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Air%20VEV%20Employee%20Statements-Rel.pdf - RE-40 email report for microsd card (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 2 photos, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20460505&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=RE-40%20Email%20Report%20DCA26FA019_Redacted-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.