Swearingen SX300 accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, July 5, 2018
On July 5, 2018 at about 5:45 pm local time, a 1993 Swearingen SX300, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N42SX, was destroyed in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Daytona Beach, Florida (Spruce Creek airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during landing, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack, experiencing an aerodynamic stall and hard landing, which resulted in a landing gear collapse, loss of directional control, and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2018 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Spruce Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SX300 NO SERIES, built 1993, amateur-built
- Registration
- N42SX · no longer on the register · serial 42
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were landing at the conclusion of a personal flight. The passenger stated that, during the landing approach, he noted that the wing flaps were down, and three green landing gear lights were illuminated; the airspeed was about 90 knots on final approach. Just before landing, he heard the angle of attack indicator alarm and knew that the airplane had stalled. The airplane landed hard and the left main landing gear collapsed. The pilot initially applied full power to take off again; however, he then reduced the throttle to idle and applied full braking. The airplane slid off the left side of the runway and collided with the precision approach path indicator lights. The airplane continued across the grass until the right wing dug into the ground; it then cartwheeled, came to rest upright, and caught fire. Bystanders assisted the pilot and passenger in opening the canopy and egressing the airplane; the pilot succumbed to burn injuries about one week after the accident. The passenger stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane, and examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing flare, which resulted in exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall. The subsequent hard landing resulted in a landing gear collapse and loss of directional 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 landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
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 Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,650 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 950 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 660 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 3, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-L1C5 (piston); 1,539 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FIN Palm Coast FL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 7FL6 Daytona Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 4,002 ft by 176 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from KEVB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on May 14, 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 | Record of Interview - Passenger | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Interview - Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Video File | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.