Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna ASTORE accident near Apopka, Florida, February 25, 2018
On February 25, 2018 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2015 Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna ASTORE, registered N194CT, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Apopka, Florida (Orlando Apopka airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 2018 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Apopka, Florida · Orlando Apopka · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna ASTORE NO SERIES, built 2015 · all ASTOREs on the register
- Registration
- N194CT · registry record · serial 039
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, during takeoff, as he applied full power, the airplane veered to the left. He attempted to recover, but the airplane exited the left side of the runway and came to rest in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 on ground during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 160 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 44 in the last 30 days; 12 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 156 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 6, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,323 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 914 Turbo (piston); 156 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X04 Apopka FL at 7:30 pm
- Destination: X04 Apopka FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,987 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KORL, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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 GAA18CA142.