Evolution Aircraft Inc REVO accident near Zephyrhills, FL
On September 25, 2024, an Evolution Aircraft Inc REVO was involved in an accident near Zephyrhills, FL. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 25, 2024
- Place
- Zephyrhills, FL
- Aircraft
- Evolution Aircraft Inc REVO · WSFT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 28.227°N, 82.156°W
- NTSB ID
- 20240925195191
Official records · ERA24FA395
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
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
Probable cause
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.
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Browse: Florida
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
