Accident Details
On April 11, 2025, at approximately 1906 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Azalea Aviation LLC Saberwing, registration N121DF, was destroyed in an accident near Justin, Texas. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The aircraft had departed Valdosta Regional Airport (VLD) in Valdosta, Georgia, around 1120 eastern daylight time, with an intermediate stop at Ralph C. Weiser Field Airport (AGO) in Magnolia, Arkansas. ADS-B data indicated arrival at AGO at about 1621 CDT. Around that time, the airframe kit manufacturer received a text from the pilot stating he had arrived, needed fuel, everything was running well, and that he would try to make it home that day.
Flight and Witness Observations
The airplane departed AGO at about 1705 CDT, climbing to 4,300 feet mean sea level (msl) on a westerly heading toward Propwash Airport (16X). Near 1900 CDT, flight track data showed a descent from 2,275 feet to about 1,250 feet, with maneuvers and altitude changes consistent with entering the airport traffic pattern. A witness located at the airport observed the airplane on the downwind leg for runway 35 at low altitude, after which it made the base leg turn.
Additional witnesses in a housing community approximately 0.6 miles south of the airport reported seeing the airplane heading south. It then turned left, at which point the left wing dropped and the airplane inverted. One witness described the airplane spinning about one and a half revolutions before descending out of sight behind a house. No witness reported seeing the airplane impact the ground.
Wreckage Information
The wreckage came to rest upright in an open field about half a mile southwest of the threshold of runway 35, on a magnetic heading of 200° at an elevation of about 762 feet msl. The first point of impact was directly beneath the engine, which was embedded approximately ten inches into the soil. A postaccident fire consumed most of the airframe. All major components remained adjacent to the fuselage, except for the upper structure of the left wing and portions of the fractured canopy, which were located near the main wreckage. A small debris field extended about 30 feet around the wreckage. The wreckage was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.