Apollo North America Inc Tundra accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, August 28, 2007
On August 28, 2007 at about 10:25 pm local time, a Apollo North America Inc Tundra (weight-shift aircraft), registered N304AP, was destroyed in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida (Zephyrhills Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Improper in-flight maneuvering that resulted in the weight-shift-aircraft's design limits being exceeded, wing failure, and a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2007 · about 10:25 pm local time
- Place
- Zephyrhills, Florida · Zephyrhills Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Apollo North America Inc Tundra
- Registration
- N304AP · registry record · serial KLM0004
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses said that they saw an ultralight-type aircraft doing circles overhead, and that they heard a loud noise like a "pop" and then looked up and saw the aircraft with its wings folded straight up. One witness said that she then saw the aircraft roll over two times, and then it dove straight to the ground. In general, operational limitations of weight-shift-aircraft are: 60 degrees angle of bank; 30 to 45 degrees pitch up and down; positive Gs at all times, with no sustained zero Gs and negative Gs; and no aerobatics allowed. Postcrash examinations of the airframe, flight controls, and engine, did not reveal any evidence of preaccident anomalies. Examination of the wreckage revealed evidence of an in-flight breakage of the wing's structural components under high negative g-loading, consistent with the aircraft being operated outside its parameters.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private, sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 345 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 295 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 358 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 12, 2007; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,040 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Apollo North America, Inc.,
The flight
- Departed from: ZPH Zephyrhills FL at 10:00 pm
- Destination: ZPH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from LAL, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.