Orlican S R O M-8 EAGLE accident near Lake Worth Beach, Florida, July 28, 2025
On July 28, 2025 at about 8:24 pm local time, a 2023 Orlican S R O M-8 EAGLE, registered N974FL, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Lake Worth Beach, Florida (Palm Beach County Park airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2025 · about 8:24 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Worth Beach, Florida · Palm Beach County Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Orlican S R O M-8 EAGLE, built 2023 · all M-8 EAGLEs on the register
- Registration
- N974FL · registry record · serial 2023009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 28, 2025, about 16:24 eastern daylight time, an Orlican M-8, N974FL, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lake Worth Beach, Florida. The flight instructor sustained minor injuries, the private pilot sustained no injuries, and five people on the ground sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight test. The pilot/owner reported that he had brought the airplane to the United States to have maintenance completed. During the maintenance work a new propeller was installed and the accident flight was a test flight with the pilot/owner and a flight instructor where they would calibrate the new propeller. The pilot/owner continued that after departing runway 10 at Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA), West Palm Beach, Florida, about a minute into the flight they experienced a total loss of engine power. They performed a forced landing to a roadway near a park during which the airplane struck a tree and a vehicle on the roadway resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, engine mount, and empennage. Postaccident examination of the airplane found there were about 27 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel present between both the wing fuel tanks. Postaccident photos showed that the electric fuel pump switch, avionics switch, and strobe switch were in the ON position. The pilot/owner reported that the airplane was usually used for “island hopping” in the Caribbean and that he would bring to the United States to have maintenance work completed. 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.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 187.9 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 27, 2025; 0 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: LNA Lake Worth Corridor FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PBI, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPBI 282053Z 08010KT 10SM FEW030 SCT250 32/24 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP176 T03220239 56010
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA25LA278.