Amateur-built XEL accident near Loxahatchee, Florida, January 21, 2018
On January 21, 2018 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 2017 amateur-built XEL (helicopter), registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Loxahatchee, Florida. It was a personal flight 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 noncertificated pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's lack of recent flight experience and his lack of training and experience in the accident helicopter make and model.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 2018 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Loxahatchee, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built XEL, built 2017
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial MXE1289
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noncertificated pilot, who was also the owner of the unregistered, single-seat helicopter, was practicing takeoffs, hovers, and landings; it was his first flight in the accident helicopter. After the first successful takeoff and landing, the pilot attempted to perform another takeoff. During the second takeoff attempt, the helicopter gained altitude and began yawing left. The helicopter climbed to about 60 ft and continued to yaw, and it then descended and impacted terrain. Although the pilot had received about 60 hours of dual flight instruction in two other make and model helicopters during the previous 2 years, he had not received instruction in the accident make and model helicopter. Given that the pilot's most recent logged flight experience with an instructor occurred nearly 17 months before the accident and that this was his first flight in the accident helicopter, it is likely that his lack of recent flight experience and lack of training and experience in the accident helicopter make and model contributed to his inability to maintain helicopter control.
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 › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Training › Training with equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 70 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 0 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 584 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Mz202 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Loxahatchee FL at 8:45 pm
- Destination: Loxahatchee FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PBI, 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
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 2, 2019. 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 | Memorandum of Conversation-pilot/owner | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record- Manufacturers Website with Specifications | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum of Conversation - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photographs of Accident Site and Damage | PDF, 4 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 UNREG 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.