- Date
- March 1, 2026, 16:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Hendersonville, NC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N123XPMorris Bradley D Zenith Stol CH-701
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 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
- 20260301001879A
- Case key
- 202568
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 during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with trees.
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 did not have any previous flight experience in the make and model airplane. During takeoff, the airplane lifted off with a nose high attitude and the wings were flying, but the tail was not. The airplane began to turn to the left and the pilot was unable to correct the deviation. The airplane then departed the runway and impacted trees, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N123XP
- Reported as
- Morris Bradley D Zenith Stol CH-701
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 7-5087
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 269.4
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 20, 2024 · 40 hours before
- Airport
- 8NC9 · W N C Air Museum Airport, runway 33, 2,400 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 620 total · 0 in this make and model · 620 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.16 inHg
- Observed at
- AVL, 9 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KAVL 012054Z AUTO 01009G18KT 10SM FEW090 21/02 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP203 T02060017 55004 $
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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.