- Date
- October 13, 2025, 17:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Gaffney, SC
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- UNREGTricks Trike Storm
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 201866
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 pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during the initial climb, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
Findings · 2
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 pilot of an unregistered experimental weight-shift-control aircraft was attempting to depart from private property with one passenger onboard. The pilot reported that during the initial climb after takeoff, while attempting to clear trees, the aircraft stalled and impacted terrain. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Tricks Trike Storm
- Category
- Weight-shift, amateur-built
- Serial number
- None
- Engine
- Rotax, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tracy Blanton
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Equipment
- Unknown
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Medical
- Sport pilot
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.91 inHg
- Observed at
- SPA, 14 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KSPA 132055Z AUTO 02004KT 10SM SCT050 BKN085 26/11 A2991
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 MB in all.