Amateur-built XL-5 accident near St. Cloud, Florida, August 21, 2019
On August 21, 2019 at about 12:52 pm local time, a 2016 amateur-built XL-5, registered N735D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near St. Cloud, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to properly secure the airplane electrical system’s positive/negative leads to the 24v battery, which resulted in a total loss of electrical and engine power in flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2019 · about 12:52 pm local time
- Place
- St. Cloud, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built XL-5, built 2016
- Registration
- N735D · registry record · serial 3RX180
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, when the airplane was at an altitude of 2,000 ft, the engine and electrical system failed simultaneously. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and made a forced landing to an open field, during which the airplane flipped over and sustained substantial damage to the airframe and wings. The airplane wreckage was not located until about 4 hours and 25 minutes after the accident. The airplane’s engine was equipped with a dual electronic ignition system that required electrical power to operate. The pilot, who was also the builder, had wired the airplane’s electrical system, which was routed through a 24v battery, including the dual electronic ignition system. Postaccident examination revealed that the lugs that connected the positive and negative leads of the airplane’s electrical system to the 24v battery were not crimped properly and that the leads had separated from their lugs, which resulted in the complete loss of electrical and engine power. The airplane’s 406-MHz emergency locator transmitter (ELT) triggered on impact, and a beacon alert was sent and was received by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC). The AFRCC called the pilot’s cell phone twice shortly after the accident, but the phone had been displaced during the accident sequence, and the pilot was unable to retrieve it to answer. The pilot’s daughter did not receive a call from the AFRCC even though she was listed as an emergency contact on his ELT registration form. A review of AFRCC’s response to the accident revealed that the on-duty controller attempted to locate the beacon and initially determined that the airplane was most likely airborne with an active ELT and closed out the incident. However, after several hours had passed, the controller observed the beacon alerts becoming more concentrated and contacted law enforcement, who located the airplane within 45 minutes. The AFRCC reported that they handled 38 other incidents that day and that the controller was in his first phase of training. However, they indicated that they would use this incident as a training aid for similar cases in the future.
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
- Electrical system malf/failure during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Electrical pwr sys wiring › Malfunction
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Safety programs › Adequacy of safety program › Emergency services
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,040 hours in all; 310 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,040 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 25, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 300 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 30, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550N (piston); 2,075 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISM Kissimmee FL at 12:40 pm
- Destination: X26 Sebastian FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from KISM, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on December 9, 2021. 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 | NTSB Roc with Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Roc Pilot 2 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Survival Factors 6 - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 6 | NTSB Wreckage and Engine Examination Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Continental Aerospace Technologies Engine Examination Report | PDF, 25 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 9 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N735D 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.