Amateur-built Volksplane VP-1 accident near Brooksville, Florida, August 10, 2015
On August 10, 2015 at about 2:33 pm local time, a 2010 amateur-built Volksplane VP-1, registered N9288, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Brooksville, Florida (Brooksville-Tampa Bay Rgnl airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff after determining that the engine was not producing adequate power. Contributing to the accident was the engine's inability to produce adequate power for reasons that could not be determined due to extensive postimpact fire damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2015 · about 2:33 pm local time
- Place
- Brooksville, Florida · Brooksville-Tampa Bay Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Volksplane VP-1, built 2010
- Registration
- N9288 · no longer on the register · serial 42010
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The sport pilot, who was also the builder of the single-seat, experimental, amateur-built airplane, stated that he had "some issues" during assembly of the experimental engine kit, but was finally able to achieve the desired engine rpm during static tests. Subsequently, during the airplane's takeoff roll on its first flight with the new engine, the pilot noted that the airplane was able to gain airspeed, but struggled to become airborne. The pilot stated that he should have aborted the takeoff at that point. The airplane reached a maximum altitude about 100 ft, the engine lost power, and the airplane descended into trees and was destroyed by a postimpact fire. The extent of the fire precluded detailed documentation of the engine and its associated systems; therefore, the reason for the loss of power could not be determined.
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 engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern downwind)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Not specified
- factor Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 148 hours in all; 0.1 in this make and model; 25 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 120 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 824 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Aerovee 2180 (piston); 10 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BKV Brooksville FL at 2:32 pm
- Destination: BKV Brooksville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 7,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:37 pm from BKV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 29, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.