Steve Saint Was Testing An Experimental Wing

The designer of the Maverick Flying Car, which uses parasail technology to lift the vehicle, was injured last week while reportedly testing an experimental wing mounted to a rolling test stand.

Steve Saint developed the Maverick through his company I-TEC as a way for missionaries to more easily travel in areas where roads are unimproved, or non-existent. His roadable aircraft has been displayed at numerous trade shows, including Oshkosh and the LSA Expo at Sebring, FL.

The accident happened last Tuesday in Dunnellon, FL, where I-TEC is based. He was transported to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL. The Assist News Service reports that an e-mail received from I-TEC indicated that Saint "has no control of feet or hands, but his mind is clear and he does have some motion and sensation in all four limbs."

In a posting on Facebook, Saint said he was "conducting a test on a small aluminum airfoil mounted on a rolling test stand when it became unmounted and struck Steve in the head causing cuts to his head and resulting in whiplash." Doctors suggested surgery to help relieve swelling around Saint's spine.

The accident was not related to the Maverick flying car, nor was it an automobile or an aircraft accident.

On the Facebook page, I-TEC, (Indigenous People's Technology and Education Center) is described as a company that "develops tools, technology and training systems for indigenous God-followers to reach their own people with the gospel of Christ through meeting their physical needs." (Image provided by I-TEC)

FMI: www.itecusa.org