- Date
- August 14, 2026, 09:26 local (13:26 UTC)
- Place
- Clermont, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N621GLWaco Classic 2T-1A-2
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 1, 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
- 203590
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 clearance from trees during the landing approach.
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
According to the pilot of the tandem seat biplane, while conducting a short-field landing approach to the runway threshold, he was having trouble seeing his aiming point past the front passenger. He subsequently misjudged the airplane’s descent rate during a turn, and the left wing struck a tree beside the runway overrun. The airplane struck the ground and was consumed by a postimpact fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N621GL
- Reported as
- Waco Classic 2T-1A-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1217
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 20
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-B1G6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Overwatch Tools Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2026
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 6FL0 · Seminole Lake, runway 18, 4,000 × 300 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 72
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 12, 2016
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 150 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- ZPH, 20 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KZPH 141335Z AUTO 36005KT 7SM CLR 30/26 A3015
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB in all.