Airtime CYGNET accident near Pensacola, Florida, August 27, 2018
On August 27, 2018 at about 5:15 pm local time, a 2016 Airtime CYGNET (weight-shift aircraft), registered N186AT, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Pensacola, Florida. It was an instructional 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 student pilot's loss of aircraft control for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2018 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pensacola, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airtime CYGNET, built 2016
- Registration
- N186AT · no longer on the register · serial 111
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following a 1-year period without flying, the student pilot completed two flights in his amphibious weight-shift-control aircraft with a flight instructor before departing on his first solo flight. The instructor reported that, during the two instructional flights, the student completed takeoffs and landings, steep turns, stalls, and spiral recovery "perfectly." After exiting the aircraft, the instructor told the student to perform several water landings, with traffic patterns 500 ft above ground level (agl). The student departed and, on the downwind leg, the aircraft entered a left descending spiral that continued until water impact. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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 maneuvering defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Physical › Health/Fitness › Physical fitness › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 33 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 10, 2016
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 174 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,280 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 174 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Pensacola FL at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Pensacola FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 5:19 pm from NPA, 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
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 24, 2020. 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 | Record of Conversation-cfi and Witness | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record- Airtime | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array-accident Site and Damage | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Toxicological Report_pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Party Form | PDF, 10 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.