According To A Witness, The Airplane Had Just Departed... When It Suddenly Descended And Struck The Ground At The End Of Runway 27

Location: Zellwood, FL Accident Number: ERA25FA154
Date & Time: March 22, 2025, 09:25 Local Registration: N8548U
Aircraft: AERO SP Z O O AT-4 LSA Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On March 22, 2025, about 0925 eastern daylight time, a Aero SP Z O O AT-4 LSA, N8548U, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Zellwood, Florida. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to a witness, the airplane had just departed from Bob White Field (X61), Zellwood, Florida, when it suddenly descended and struck the ground at the end of runway 27. The witness stated that the airplane immediately caught fire upon impact with the terrain, but it was not on fire prior to the impact. A second witness reported watching the airplane taxi to the departure end of the runway and waived to the pilot. This witness reported that the airplane appeared to be “normal”, and the canopy appeared to be down.

The accident site was located at the western end of the runway in a drainage ditch. The initial impact scar was about 3 feet to the east of the main wreckage. The impact crater was oriented on a 285° heading and was about 6 ft-long. Horizontal marks in the sandy terrain extended outwards from the impact crater that were 10 ft in length. The airplane was inverted oriented along a 120° heading. All major parts and components of the airplane remained with the main wreckage.

The pilot’s seatbelt, the airplane canopy and windscreen, magnetic compass, and one propeller blade were located past the main wreckage on the western side of the drainage ditch. Part of the canopy structure was located at the top of the drainage ditch past the empennage, and about 20 feet from the impact crater with the securing pins, jettison levers, and locking levers attached to the pushrod assembly. The pilot’s seatbelt and fuselage connection points were about 40 feet from the main wreckage, and it remained latched at the buckle. The propeller blade was about 120 feet from the main wreckage.

The composite fuselage structure and cockpit instrumentation was consumed by postimpact fire. The control yokes remained attached within the fuselage. Control cable and tube continuity from the flight control surfaces to the control yoke and rudder pedals were visually established. The leading edges of both wings showed uniform crushing from the wing roots to the wing tips. The flaps were in the up position. The right wing was displaced slightly forward, and the left wing was displaced slight aft of the fuselage. The empennage was separated from the fuselage and was displaced to the right of the fuselage. The right main landing gear was displaced aft and into the bottom of the right wing, just forward of the flap. The left main landing gear was displaced aft and into the bottom of the left wing, just forward of the flap. 

The nose landing gear was separated and was located below the fuselage debris. The four-cylinder engine was damaged by fire. The spark plugs remained installed in their respective cylinder heads. The intake system was separated from the cylinder heads on the left side of the engine. The alternator remained attached to the engine. The engine magneto was dislodged from its mounting surface and was destroyed by fire. The engine crankshaft rotated about 30° when force was applied to the propeller. No external signs of catastrophic engine failure were evident.

The airplane was equipped with a three-blade carbon fiber propeller. One propeller blade was broken at the propeller hub and was found at the end of the wreckage path, about 120 feet from the main wreckage. One propeller blade remained attached to the propeller hub but was splintered. One propeller blade was broken at the propeller hub and was found adjacent to the engine. Rotational scoring and leading-edge damage were present on the propeller blade located at the end of the wreckage path.

A review of the maintenance records revealed that the airplane’s most-recent annual inspection had been completed on March 18, 2025. A witness who stored their airplane in the hangar next to the accident airplane stated that the pilot had asked him to help secure the lower cowling back onto the airplane after the annual inspection was completed. The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination. 

FMI: www.ntsb.gov