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ERA24FA395

2024-09-25 · Zephyrhills, Florida, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport ZPH

Current FAA registration · N889HT

Make / Model
EVOLUTION AIRCRAFT INC REVO
Year of manufacture
2015 · 9 years old at event
Engine
ROTAX 912 IS (100 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20150520
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AC4005

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The flight instructor’s failure to ensure the haul back cable was securely connected to the “J” hook prior to departing on the accident flight, which resulted in the cable becoming disconnected and the wings folding up during flight.

Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On September 25, 2024, about 0710 eastern daylight time, an Evolution Aircraft Inc. Revo weight-shift-control aircraft, N889HT, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida. The flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to a witness, he was standing outside when he heard the aircraft flying and thought he heard the sound of the engine sputtering. He looked up at the aircraft and heard a popping noise, then saw it descending toward the ground in a nose-down attitude with flames coming from the aircraft. The aircraft continued to descend and impacted terrain. Security video obtained from a business across the street from the accident site revealed the aircraft was in a nose-down attitude with the wings folded back just before impact. The aircraft had several navigation lights that were on during the early morning hour.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

An examination of the wreckage at the accident site revealed that the aircraft came to rest in a field with a compact wreckage distribution. There was no evidence of an inflight fire; however, a postimpact fire consumed most of the wreckage. All flight control cables were connected to their respective connections except the haul back cable, which was disconnected at the “J” hook. The safety latch was intact. The engine examination did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was conducted by the Office of the Medical Examiner, Pinellas County Science Center, Largo, Florida. The autopsy reported the cause of death for the flight instructor as blunt force injuries. An autopsy was not performed on the student pilot. Toxicology testing performed by the FAA Forensic Services Laboratory on the student pilot’s blood identified no evidence of impairing drugs. Toxicology testing performed by the FAA Forensic Services Laboratory on the instructor’s blood identified that Rosuvastatin was detected. Rosuvastatin (Crestor) is a prescription cholesterol medication and is acceptable for pilots. Alfuzosin was also detected. Alfuzosin (Uroxatral) is an alpha-1-adrenoceptor antagonist used to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate. Alfuzosin is acceptable for pilots. Tadalafil was detected. Tadalafil (Cialis) is a PDE5 inhibitor used to treat erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Side effects include vision and hearing changes. Tadalafil is conditionally acceptable for pilots depending on the dosage and the condition being treated. Higher doses require a 24-hour waiting period. None of these medications were generally considered impairing.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The haul back cable on the accident aircraft was used for folding and unfolding the wings. It was a cable that ran through the wing’s center, allowing the pilot to retract the wings for transport or storage. The haul back cable was pulled tight to unfold the wings and attached to the “J” hook at the front center wing section. It was attached by hooking into the “J” hook and under the spring lock. The accident occurred during an instructional flight in a weight-shift-control aircraft. A witness reported hearing a popping sound and then saw the aircraft descending in a nose-down attitude with what he thought were flames coming from the aircraft. The aircraft continued to descend and impacted on the terrain. An airport security video captured the aircraft in a nose-down attitude with the wings folded back as it descended. The video showed that in the early morning, low light conditions, the aircraft’s position lights were on. This was likely what the witness thought was flames coming from the aircraft. Postaccident examination of the wreckage confirmed that there was no evidence of an inflight fire; however, a postimpact fire consumed most of the wreckage. The examination also found that the flight control cables were all connected to their respective connections. The haul back cable was found disconnected at the “J” hook, and the “J” hook was otherwise intact. The haul back cable allowed the wings to be folded for transport and storage of the aircraft. An inflight disconnection would have allowed the wings to fold back during flight. Based on this information, it is likely that the flight instructor did not secure the end of the haul back cable into the “J” hook prior to departing and the haul back cable detached during flight, which allowed the wings to fold up. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Inspection-Preflight inspection-Instructor/check pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft structures-Wing structure-Attach fittings (on wing)-Inadequate inspection

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_ERA24FA395.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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