Air One eVTOL Prototype Crashes in Florida

An uncrewed eVTOL aircraft prototype built by Israeli start-up Air crashed on October 23 in South Florida, according to the NTSB, which has opened an investigation into the accident.

According to an NTSB statement, the aircraft was “consumed by post-crash fire” when it crashed for unknown reasons in a field near the rural community of Indiantown, Florida, about 40 miles northwest of West Palm Beach. No injuries have been reported. 

The ill-fated aircraft was a full-scale, proof-of-concept prototype for which the FAA recently issued an experimental airworthiness certificate, an Air spokesperson confirmed. Registered N514AX, the aircraft was a precursor to the Air One eVTOL model that the company intends to offer as a two-seater for personal transportation or as an uncrewed platform for utility roles.

“The test flights this week were aimed at envelope expansion and performance verification,” the company spokesperson told AIN. “The aircraft was wrapping up a short flight after conducting a few flights that day. We’re working closely with the NTSB to research the root cause of the event and will release full details after validation.”

When it announced the special airworthiness certification in early September, Air said it had begun flight testing the aircraft in Florida, which the Israel-based company is positioning as a key hub for its U.S. expansion. In July, the company announced it had raised $23 million in a Series A funding round aimed at accelerating this expansion.

Earlier this week, Air had been conducting live flight demonstrations with the aircraft at Indiantown Airport (X58), showcasing the technology for a small crowd of local government representatives, partners, customers, and investors. 

Air has been flying a similar eVTOL demonstrator in northern Israel since 2022, including night trials for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. The company has another aircraft at its Florida facility and intends to resume test flights with the pre-production prototype in early 2026, the spokesperson said.

By next year, the company aims to get FAA approval for the Air One under the new Mosaic special airworthiness rules for light sport aircraft. “We anticipate no delays or setbacks,” Air's spokesperson said. “Naturally, these unmanned flights of prototypes are a key source of data and evolution for us. Such an event, as sad as it is, contributes a great deal for the maturation process. All relevant takeaways from this event will be implemented in the production aircraft.”

This article was updated on October 27 with additional details from Air.