Trick Trikes STORM accident near Valkaria, Florida, July 31, 2016
On July 31, 2016 at about 11:00 am local time, a 2007 Trick Trikes STORM (weight-shift aircraft), registered N4367X, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Valkaria, Florida (Valkaria airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s premature rotation during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2016 · about 11:00 am local time
- Place
- Valkaria, Florida · Valkaria · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Trick Trikes STORM NO SERIES, built 2007
- Registration
- N4367X · no longer on the register · serial TTS 020
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the weight-shift-control aircraft reported that, during takeoff, he pitched upward excessively early for the aircraft's weight. Several feet above the ground, the aircraft descended and bounced off the runway. The pilot tried to regain control and take off again, but the aircraft came back down and bounced on the runway. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft slid down the runway about 75 ft before coming to rest. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuselage was substantially damaged.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 274 hours in all; 274 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 205 as pilot in command; 69 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 16, 2014
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 19, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,186 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 210 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X59 Valkaria FL at 11:00 am
- Destination: X59 Valkaria FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KMLB, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on March 30, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record – Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Witness Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | 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.