Airborne Edge X Classic accident near Lake Wales, Florida, August 25, 2018
On August 25, 2018 at about 11:30 am local time, a 2009 Airborne Edge X Classic (weight-shift aircraft), registered N4557C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Lake Wales, Florida (Lake Wales Muni 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2018 · about 11:30 am local time
- Place
- Lake Wales, Florida · Lake Wales Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airborne Edge X Classic, built 2009
- Registration
- N4557C · registry record · serial 582-306
- 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 in the weight-shift-control aircraft reported that he remained in the pattern and was performing full-stop landings. He flared the aircraft too late, and it struck the runway hard. The aircraft sustained substantial to the center-frame bar and the left wing tubes. The student reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft 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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 3.5 in the last 30 days; 1.2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 25, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,040 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 2 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X07 Lake Wales FL at 11:00 am
- Destination: X07 Lake Wales FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,860 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 11:30 am from KBOW, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 30, 2019. 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 | Photo | 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.