Czech Sport Aircraft Sportcruiser accident near Fryeburg, Maine, September 4, 2025

The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record

On September 4, 2025, about 1418 eastern daylight time, a Czech Sport Aircraft Sportcruiser, N336SC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fryeburg, Maine. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot’s son, who had flown with him earlier in the day, reported that the purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane from Eastern Slopes Regional Airport (IZG), Fryeburg, Maine, to Moultonborough Airport (4MB), Moultonborough, New Hampshire, as IZG was scheduled to close on September 10th for construction. He reported that after the morning flight they washed the airplane, and added 8 gallons of non-ethanol unleaded gasoline, 4 gallons to each wing tank. This brought the total amount of fuel to 13 gallons, 7 gallons in the left wing fuel tank and 6 gallons in the right wing fuel tank. He then departed IZG to drive to 4MB prior to the airplane departing as it was about a 1-hour drive and only about a 20-minute flight. Preliminary ADS-B data showed the airplane departed runway 14 at IZG then made a climbing left turn to a maximum altitude of about 2,100 ft mean sea level (msl) on a flight track of about 300°. Two minutes and 26 seconds after the first ADS-B target the airplane stopped climbing at 2,100 ft msl on a flight track of about 210°, and 5 seconds later began about a 500 ft/min descent. About 15 seconds later the airplane began a left turning descent which continued until the ADS-B data ended. The final data point reported the airplane at an altitude about 1,700 ft msl on a flight track of 025° with a descent rate of about 1,300 ft/min. Witnesses on the ground reported hearing a “loud pop” sound, which made them look up, and observe the airplane “in a dive” with the ballistic parachute recovery system partially deployed. One witness who was working at the airport described hearing a “bang” then seeing the accident airplane about 1,000 ft above ground level (agl) in a left spin pointed “straight into the ground.” The airplane came to rest in a wooded area just off a firebreak about 1 nautical mile (nm) from the departure airport. The wreckage was oriented on a magnetic heading of 118° and an elevation of 433 ft msl. All major components were contained within about a 40 ft radius from the main wreckage site. The initial impact point was about 30 ft above ground level on a tree located about 50 ft east of where the main wreckage came to rest. The initial ground impact scar was about 25 ft from the initial impact tree, the scar contained rocks which exhibited blue paint transfer consistent with wingtip impact. A larger ground impact crater consistent with impact of the airplane’s engine was observed about 15 ft from the initial ground impact scar. The airplane came to rest about 10 ft from the large impact crater. The fuselage was impact crushed up and aft. The cockpit canopy was impact separated and found near the airplane. The canopy latch attachment points were torn in a manner consistent with the canopy being closed and latched at the time of impact. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, and right horizontal stabilizer were undamaged. The left horizontal stabilizer, elevator, and pitch trim were displaced forward consistent with impact with a tree during the accident sequence. Both wings remained attached at the main wing spars. The leading edge of the right wing outboard of the fuel tank was impact crushed up and aft. The left wing was impact crushed up and aft and was bent upwards. Control continuity was established from all flight control surfaces to the flight controls in the cockpit through fractures in multiple rod ends consistent with overload impact separation. Both fuel tanks were breached. The left wing fuel tank contained no fuel and about 1.5 gallons of fuel was drained from the right wing fuel tank via the wing fuel sump. Both the left and right wing fuel tank caps were secured in place and both fuel tank finger screens were unobstructed. The fuel selector was found set to the right fuel tank and continuity of the fuel system was confirmed from the wing tanks through the fuel selector. The fuel line from the fuel selector to the fuel strainer was impact separated. The fuel strainer exhibited impact damage and contained no fuel; the strainer screen was unobstructed. Fuel was drained from the lines of the electric fuel pump and fuel bypass. The fuel was collected in a clear container and tested for water; the presence of water was not detected. An external electrical source was connected to the electric fuel pump, and when the intake was placed in a bucket of water, the fluid pumped with no anomalies. Air was blown through the electric fuel pump fuel bypass, and it was unobstructed. The fuel flow transducer was removed and when air was blown through, it was unobstructed, and the wheel spun smoothly. The airplane was equipped with a ballistic parachute recovery system (BPRS) which was partially deployed. The red BPRS activation handle in the cockpit was out of its mount consistent with an inflight deployment. The BPRS motor launch tube was mounted to the firewall, and the parachute and other packing materials were stored in a bag which located in a bracket mounted horizontally to the firewall. All 4 parachute harness mounts were secure to the aircraft, and the airframe harness was partially deployed. The harness remained attached to the parachute riser and the riser was partially deployed. The suspension lines remained attached to the riser with a portion of the lines still undeployed in the sleeve. The parachute remained attached to the suspension lines and was partially deployed from the sleeve. The drogue chute was entangled in the parachute sleeve and suspension lines and remained attached to the sleeve. The rocket motor and cable attachments remained attached to the drogue and the rocket motor was found inside the baggage compartment. The nose of the rocket motor had paint transfer consistent with the entry hole in the top aft portion of the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine showed both carburetors had been impact separated from the engine; one remained attached to the wreckage through the throttle control cable and the other was imbedded in the air intake housing. The reduction gearbox sustained impact damage, and the propeller shaft was forced aft into the crankcase. The large gear within the gearbox was also displaced aft, into the crankcase, which displayed gear tooth stamp marks with no rotational scoring signatures. Once the gearbox was removed, both the propeller shaft and crankshaft rotated freely. The cylinder piston and valve faces were examined using a lighted borescope and exhibited lead buildup on the piston face and intake valves. The rocker covers were removed from each cylinder head, and all rocker arms, valve springs, and valves functioned normally. All top and bottom sparkplugs were removed and examined. The spark plugs were yellow, consistent with the use of 100 LL aviation fuel and lead deposits were observed on the electrode. The engine driven fuel pump and right carburetor bowl contained fuel, and the presence of water was not observed when tested with water finding paste. The oil filter adapter and oil filter were impact separated from the crankcase and remained attached to the engine via safety wire. The oil filter was removed and cut open. No debris was noted in the oil filter pleats. The airplane was equipped with avionics capable of recording and retaining flight and engine data. These units were removed and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for data extraction. The airplane was retained for further examination.

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.