The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report on the September 3rd crash near Tampa Executive Airport that killed a pilot and a passenger. According to investigators, the small experimental plane lifted off about halfway down the 5,000-foot runway at roughly 80 knots, then made a 180-degree left turn while climbing. It banked steeply and descended nose-first into a wooded area about a third of a mile northwest of the runway. A post-crash fire destroyed much of the upside-down aircraft.
The plane was an amateur-built Evolution kit aircraft assembled in 2020, and it was on a personal flight to Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The pilot correctly repeated air traffic control instructions before takeoff, and no further communication was received from the aircraft afterward. The NTSB has retained the wreckage for further examination, and no cause has been determined at this stage.
For Suncoast residents, especially those living near the airport or involved in the local aviation community, the report raises familiar questions about experimental aircraft and what a steep turn at low altitude can mean after takeoff. Preliminary reports typically don’t assign fault, and a final determination could take a year or more. We’ll continue following the investigation as it develops. What questions do you have about experimental aircraft safety in our area?
