A newly released National Transportation Safety Board summary says a Winona pilot had just swapped out the wing on his ultralight before a short test flight ended in a fatal crash near Winona Municipal Airport last Thursday. The pilot, identified locally as 74‑year‑old Wayne William Ledebuhr, was alone in the two‑seat trike when the right wingtip hit the ground and the aircraft tumbled. Federal investigators have launched a formal inquiry and are gathering maintenance records, logbooks and witness statements.
Inside the NTSB’s early findings
According to FOX 9, the NTSB summary says the pilot had removed a Streak 3 king‑post wing and installed an Arrow strutted wing shortly before takeoff. The report notes the change was intended to reduce the aircraft’s storage height and that the flight’s purpose was to test the new wing. Investigators stopped short of blaming the replacement itself for the crash. The summary also says the airframe logbook listed the last annual inspection as completed in April 2024 and that a post‑accident examination “found nothing that would have precluded normal operation.”
What witnesses say they saw on landing
A witness who knew Ledebuhr told investigators the pilot first carried out two “crow hops,” brief takeoffs followed almost immediately by landings, as part of the test sequence. On a third approach, a corrective control input led the right wingtip to strike the ground, which caused the trike to cartwheel, the witness told FOX 9. Local outlets and officials say the crash happened around 8 p.m.; first responders attempted life‑saving measures, but Ledebuhr was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Star Tribune.
Local agencies, federal investigators on the case
Authorities identified the aircraft as an Airborne Edge XT‑912‑L trike and said the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB are conducting the investigation, MPR News reported. The Winona Fire Department, police and other local agencies secured the scene while federal teams documented the wreckage and collected records and statements from the owner and witnesses.
Why the wing change is under the microscope
The Edge XT‑912 family is designed to accept different wing types, including king‑post “Streak” wings and strutted “Arrow” wings. The manufacturer’s assembly manual spells out how each wing must be rigged and inspected before flight, according to the manufacturer’s documentation. Investigators are expected to examine whether the swap, rigging and preflight checks followed that manual and whether any issues in maintenance or assembly may have played a role in the control problems reported during the landing sequence. That review typically leans on logbooks, maintenance forms and any available video or eyewitness accounts.
What happens next
The NTSB investigation remains open. Officials say the agency will first release a detailed factual report, then later a separate determination of probable cause once the analysis is complete. As Winona mourns a longtime local flier, federal investigators are still asking anyone who may have video or additional eyewitness information about the crash to contact the agency or local authorities, according to local reporting.
