NTSB Factual Report

On February 25, 2018, about 0810 eastern standard time, an Airborne Windsports Edge XT-912-L, N98YW, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground while on approach to Mid Florida Air Service Airport (X55), Eustis, Florida. The sport pilot was fatally injured. The weight-shift-control aircraft was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed, for the local flight which departed from X55, about 0804.

According to witnesses, the pilot had recently purchased the weight-shift-controlled trike , from an individual in Hawaii. On the day before the accident, the pilot spent most of the day assembling the trike. The next morning (the day of the accident), the pilot taxied the aircraft to runway 18, where he then made three takeoffs and three landings within the length of the runway, each time taking off, climbing to a point about 30 ft above ground level, then descending, landing, then taking off again. The pilot then taxied back to the beginning of runway 18 and performed two more short takeoffs and landings. Then, while performing a third takeoff, instead of descending and landing again, he added power and joined the traffic pattern.

The trike was next seen on the left downwind leg of the traffic and was observed to overshoot the turn on to the left base leg. The trike then turned on to the final approach leg of the traffic, but once again overshot, rolling out past the centerline which placed the trike to the right of the runway centerline paralleling the final. The trike then made a hard-left turn towards the final approach leg of the traffic pattern, and the wings of the trike began rocking up and down. The right wing then "went down," the engine was heard to accelerate, and the trike impacted the ground.

Initial examination of the accident site and wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the trike had impacted the ground on airport property, north of the runway 19 threshold, to the right of the extended centerline, in a nose low, right wing down, attitude.

The recorded weather at Leesburg International Airport (LEE), Leesburg, Florida, located 10 nm west of the accident site, at 0753, included: winds 180° at 6 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, overcast ceiling at 8,500 ft, temperature 22°C, dew point 20°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.20 inches of mercury.

According to FAA airmen records, the pilot held a sport pilot certificate with an endorsement for weight-shift-control-land aircraft. He also held a repairman light sport aircraft certificate.

According to FAA airworthiness records, the trike was manufactured in 2009.

The wreckage was retained for further examination.