Aero Adventure ZEPHYR II accident near Sylacauga, Alabama, September 18, 2011
On September 18, 2011 at about 10:21 pm local time, a Aero Adventure ZEPHYR II, registered N3577F, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sylacauga, Alabama (Sylacauga Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's incapacitation due to a heart attack during takeoff, which led to an in-flight loss of airplane control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2011 · about 10:21 pm local time
- Place
- Sylacauga, Alabama · Sylacauga Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Adventure ZEPHYR II
- Registration
- N3577F · no longer on the register · serial Z21991F
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During climb after takeoff, the experimental light sport airplane made an extreme right bank and descended nose-down into a grassy area adjacent to the runway. Although the pilot had recently modified the elevator trim, the in-flight upset was not a pitch upset, and examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The pilot's most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued about 8 years prior to the accident. A few months before the accident, the pilot had applied for another FAA third-class medical certificate; however, it was deferred by the FAA due to the pilot’s history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, lymphoma, and diabetes. The pilot's autopsy subsequently revealed that he suffered a fatal heart attack during the attempted takeoff.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Cardiovascular › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 655 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SCD Sylacauga AL at 10:21 pm
- Destination: SCD Sylacauga AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,390 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from ALX, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.