A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board is shedding new light on the September 3 crash at Tampa Executive Airport that killed two people. According to investigators, the small experimental plane lifted off about halfway down the 5,000-foot runway at roughly 80 knots, then made a steep 180-degree left turn before descending nose-first into a wooded area about one-third of a mile northwest of the runway.
The aircraft was an amateur-built Evolution kit plane, assembled in 2020, and was headed to Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The pilot correctly repeated the tower’s takeoff instructions before departing, and the report notes there was no further communication from the plane. The names of the pilot and passenger have not been released, and the NTSB has not yet determined a cause.
The wreckage has been retained for further examination, which is standard practice while an investigation remains open. Preliminary reports typically take months to be followed by a final determination, and the process could stretch longer. For Suncoast residents who live and work near Tampa Executive, the crash raises natural questions about small aircraft, kit-built planes, and flight paths over our communities.
What questions do you have about small-aircraft safety in our area? Let us know.
