This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this writing will be corrected when/if the NTSB preliminary report is released.
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N448VQ
- History of Flight:
On July 14, 2026, at about 1103 local time, a privately-registered Montana Coyote, N448VQ, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Shannon Airport (EZF/KEZF), Fredericksburg, Virginia. The private pilot/builder/owner sustained fatal injuries. The local flight originated from EZF at 1049.
Preliminary information provided by a gas station employee suggests the pilot refueled the airplane before takeoff.
According to Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, the airplane departed runway 24 and entered a climbing left hand turn (to the south) to an altitude of 1,600 ft. At 1052, about 3 minutes after takeoff, the airplane stopped the climb, and entered a descent to 950 ft. At 1054, the airplane entered a left hand turn to the north. At 1058, the airplane was about 2 miles south of the airport when it entered a right turn, then a left turn to the pattern for runway 24. At 1101, the airplane was at 350 ft, 52 knots groundspeed, and 1.20 miles from the airport when it entered a base-to-final turn for runway 24. At 1102:43, the airplane was on short final, a 0.45 mile from the runway at 175 ft, 48 knots groundspeed. The last ADS-B data point was recorded at 1103:04, the airplane was at 25 ft, 48 knots GS, and descending 250 feet per minute (fpm).
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| Figure 1: Entire track and top of climb |
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| Figure 2: Base-to-final turn |
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| Figure 3: End of track, note parking lot under airplane was the accident location |
A witness stated that “[the plane] sounded like a lawnmower was like, like an engine. Like it was like, ‘pow pow pow pow.’ And then I heard, boom! It sounded like, you know, when you start the lawnmower and it won’t start. It’s like boom! It sounded like that,”
The pilot, aged 78, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. The pilot also held a repairman experimental aircraft certificate for the accident aircraft which was issued on April 2024. His FAA BasicMed Course was dated 5/16/2026.
The accident aircraft, serial number 001, was built in 2024. It was a high wing, side-by-side two-seat configuration, conventional landing gear airplane. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-D2G engine. The reported stall speed is 30 knots (35 mph).
The airplane came to rest in a dealership parking lot located 700 ft short of the runway 24 threshold. The airplane impacted a vehicle and came to rest next to it. There was no notable debris field leading to the main wreckage. There was no post crash fire. Both wings and tail remained attached to the airframe. Both wings sustained accordion style, leading edge crushing impact damage. Portions of fabric covering the bottom fuselage were ripped apart during the impact sequence. The main cabin was crushed aft. The impact appears consistent with a low altitude aerodynamic stall/spin entry and impact with the parked vehicle with little to no forward airspeed.
Weather conditions at the time were unremarkable.
- METARs:
METAR KEZF 141455Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 28/19 A3017 RMK AO2 T02820191
METAR KEZF 141515Z AUTO 22003KT 10SM CLR 29/19 A3017 RMK AO2 T02870193
