- Date
- November 26, 2025, 16:40 local (21:40 UTC)
- Place
- Inverness Highlands South, FL · on the airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N48THHuebbe Tom MAX TH
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 17, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 202087
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 directional control on takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the aircraft design that did not incorporate differential braking.
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 reported that he was departing with a mild right crosswind in the amateur-built, steerable tailwheel-equipped airplane, without differential braking. After initiating his takeoff roll, the airplane began to drift to the left and he was unable to correct. The airplane exited the runway and struck a sign, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane’s tailwheel or brake system that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48TH
- Reported as
- Huebbe Tom MAX TH
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 450
- Built
- 1996
- Engine
- Great Plains VW 1800cc, 60 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 13, 2025
- Departed
- KINF · Inverness, FL
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- INF · Inverness, runway 19, 5,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 122 total · 29 in this make and model · 56 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- inf
- METAR
- SA 26/11/2025 22:35->METAR KINF 262235Z AUTO 00000KT 5SM HZ CLR 23/20 A3007
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 MB in all.