Amateur-built STORM accident near Eustis, Florida, August 20, 2016
On August 20, 2016 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 2014 amateur-built STORM (weight-shift aircraft), registered N516VB, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Eustis, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an aborted takeoff. Contributing to the accident were the loss of engine power due to a malfunctioning alternator, which precipitated the off-field landing, and the pilot’s decision to attempt to take off from an area with high grass, which precipitated the loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2016 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Eustis, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STORM NO SERIES, built 2014
- Registration
- N516VB · registry record · serial TTS61
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that he was conducting a local flight in the weight-shift-control aircraft when the engine lost total power. He added that he landed the aircraft in a field and determined that the main battery was "completely dead," so he obtained another battery and installed it on the aircraft. He test ran the engine before takeoff, and it performed satisfactorily. During the subsequent takeoff in high grass, the aircraft did not accelerate as expected, and the engine began to lose power. The pilot aborted the takeoff and applied the wheel brakes. The brakes locked, and he lost directional control. The aircraft then impacted a fence and a house before coming to rest on its left side. The pilot reported that the alternator on the automotive engine, which had an electronic ignition, was likely not charging and that this resulted in the battery becoming depleted and the subsequent loss of engine power. He also reported that he did not account for the effect of the high grass on the airplane's performance and should have aborted the takeoff sooner.
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 (total) during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › AC generator › alternator › Malfunction
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Decision related to condition
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, sport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 45 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 9, 2015; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Suzuki - Geo G13B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X55 Eustis FL at 1:15 pm
- Destination: X55 Eustis FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from LEE, 10 miles away
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 October 19, 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 - Telephone Interview, FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array (Courtesy of Eustis Fl Police) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N516VB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.