- Date
- December 28, 2025, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Frostproof, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5062VVarga 2150A
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20251228019609A
- Case key
- 202224
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff, resulting in a runway excursion and collision with terrain.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot was attempting to take off from a private turf runway, utilizing a soft-field takeoff technique. The pilot reported that upon rotation, the left wing started to drop, and the airplane drifted left of the runway center line. He applied additional right rudder and aileron inputs but was unable to correct the left drift. Having concerns about clearing an obstacle at the end of the runway, the pilot aborted the takeoff due to the airplane not climbing as expected. The left main landing gear impacted the ground, and the left wing impacted a fence off the left side of the runway. The airplane came to rest upright after pivoting 180º, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot stated there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5062V
- Reported as
- Varga 2150A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- VAC-50
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 2,237
- Engine
- Lycombing O-320/B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 16, 2024 · 20 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 52FL · Lake Clinch Airpark, runway Non-Specified, 2,800 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- September 28, 2024
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 653 total · 72 in this make and model · 564 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 3 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
- 32 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Observed at
- BOW, 17 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KBOW 282140Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 21, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.5 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.