Fantasy Air ALLEGRO accident near Boone, North Carolina, August 14, 2019
On August 14, 2019 at about 12:41 pm local time, a 2005 Fantasy Air ALLEGRO, registered N5020X, was destroyed in an accident during approach near Boone, North Carolina. It was a personal 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 reported total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2019 · about 12:41 pm local time
- Place
- Boone, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fantasy Air ALLEGRO 2000, built 2005
- Registration
- N5020X · no longer on the register · serial 05-216
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Several witnesses noted the airplane was flying but did not hear an engine sound while it was in the traffic pattern of an airstrip adjacent to the pilot’s house. Witnesses reported hearing the airplane impact terrain. A postcrash fire occurred. The pilot was able to self-extricate himself and informed a first responder and medical personnel that he was "circling to land and the engine bogged down." Examination of the wreckage found the cockpit and inboard portions of the wings were consumed by the postcrash fire; there was no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction of the flight controls for roll, pitch, and yaw. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of failure or malfunction of the powertrain, but heat damage to the fuel metering, ignition, and cooling systems precluded determining whether there was any preexisting issue with those systems. While the pilot’s autopsy found severe atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, he initially survived the accident and did not experience a loss of consciousness; thus, sudden incapacitation was not a factor. Medication found in his system was the result of postaccident medical intervention. Personal medical records revealed that the pilot had a stroke about 2 months prior to the crash that resulted in the loss of his right visual fields. The condition, called homonymous hemianopsia, causes difficulty in visual-motor control and perception in space. However, without knowledge of the intended flight pattern and timing of the reported loss of engine power, it could not be determined whether the pilot’s homonymous hemianopsia contributed to the accident.
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 approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during unknown
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,232 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Boone NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1.2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 100 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 12:45 pm from KHKY, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on March 8, 2022. 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 | NTSB Record of Conversation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Record of Conversations | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Memoradum for Record - Master Trooper Townsend Nc State Highway Patrol | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Memorandum for Record - Multiple | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Report from Technical Advisor | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Medical Officer's Factual Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 10 | 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.
