# NTSB DCA26LA159: Pyka Pelican Cargo, N136ZP, Summit Point, WV, March 17, 2026 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: March 17, 2026, 08:45 local (12:45 UTC) - Place: Summit Point, WV · Lat/long based on photos provided overlaid on satellite imagery - Coordinates: 39.236599, -77.976908 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2366&lon=-77.9769&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 16, 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, Pyka - NTSB case key (mKey): 202661 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA26LA159 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202661/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=202661 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26LA159 ## Probable cause The inaccurate obstacle height entered into mission planning that resulted in the aircraft wing’s impact with a tree during descent, resulting resulted in a loss of control. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Object/animal/substance: tree(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Pyka PELICAN CARGO, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md?model=06102C3), [All aircraft, 933 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: tree(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Accuracy of related info; cases with it: [Pyka PELICAN CARGO, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md?model=06102C3), [All aircraft, 933 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120) (defining event); cases with it: [Pyka PELICAN CARGO, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120/sequence.md?model=06102C3), [All aircraft, 1,074 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120/sequence.md) ## Analysis A Pyka Pelican Cargo unmanned aircraft system (UAS), N136ZP, was substantially damaged after it impacted a tree and subsequently the ground during its descent to land at Summit Point Training Facility in Summit Point, West Virginia. The flight was operated by Pyka Inc. as a developmental flight test and was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certificate of Authorization (COA). There were no injuries. The Pelican Cargo is a fixed-wing UAS with four electrically-driven, wing-mounted motors (figure 1). Each motor has two propellers and are powered by a battery system. The airframe has a fixed tricycle landing gear. The accident aircraft held an experimental airworthiness certificate. Figure 1. Pyka Pelican Cargo. (source: Pyka Inc.) According to the operator, the aircraft departed from the same runway as the intended landing with no issues. The flight was conducted autonomously with the option for manual control. There was a pilot in command, a remote pilot, two visual observers (one positioned at the beginning of the final approach path, and one positioned abeam the tallest obstacle along the approach course), and a ground control station operator as part of the operation. During the flight, multiple passes were conducted to both ensure a stable approach and terrain clearance for landing. The pilot elected to proceed with landing, which the aircraft accomplished autonomously. During descent, at about 60 ft above ground level, the aircraft wing contacted a tree and subsequently struck a powerline before impacting the ground and fragmenting. No postcrash fire was reported and there were no injuries. During preflight planning, the operator stated that personnel measured nearby trees as being about 46 ft (14 meters) tall. However, these measurements were taken relative to the elevation of the runway, but the elevation of the trees was lower than that of the runway. The measured height of the trees was input as obstacles into the aircraft’s mission planning software. As a result, the aircraft interpreted these obstacles as extending 46 ft above the ground from where the trees were located. Furthermore, the operator reported finding, after the accident occurred, that one tree that was about 15 ft taller than the surrounding trees. This taller tree was missed during preflight planning and was not input into the mission planning software. The Pelican Cargo was not equipped with light detection and ranging (LIDAR) equipment or analogous remote sensing technology for obstacle detection and collision avoidance. Such equipment could have detected the impending conflict with the tree and aborted the landing autonomously. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N136ZP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N136ZP), registered now, S/N 16056PC0007, built 2024 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PYKA INC PELICAN CARGO - Registry model: [Pyka PELICAN CARGO](https://openairdocs.org/model/pyka-pelican-cargo) (registry code 06102C3) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, unmanned - Serial number: 16056PC0007 - Year built: 2024 - Airframe hours: 12 - Engines: Sunray DT13855-42P-60KV 25 horsepower electric; Sunray DT13855-42P-60KV 25 horsepower electric; Sunray DT13855-42P-60KV 25 horsepower electric; Sunray DT13855-42P-60KV 25 horsepower electric - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Flight test, Part 91 - Operator: Pyka Inc - Registered owner: Pyka Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Unknown, December 16, 2024 - Destination: Same as departure - Equipment: Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 26; injuries: none; remote, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 29, 2025; seat: none; restraint: none; flight hours: 664 total, 140 in this make and model, 608 as pilot in command, 3 in the last 90 days - Other flight crew; age 21; injuries: none; private, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 22, 2025; seat: none; flight hours: 610 total, 139 in this make and model, 463 as pilot in command, 48 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days - Other flight crew; injuries: none; private; medical: unknown, unknown; seat: none; flight hours: 50 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 41 °F - Icing: Unknown ## 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 20260317002569A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260317002569A), Mar 17, 2026: Pyka PELICAN CARGO, Summit Point, WV, Substantial damage. Prior to takeoff, weather, airspace, and other operational factors were reviewed by the UAS team. A crew briefing was conducted to establish roles, observer… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 16, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=202661. 1.8 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20424406&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%206120%20Form%20-%20DCA26LA159_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.