ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 174220
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| Date: | Monday 2 March 2015 |
| Time: | 12:52 |
| Type: |  Colyaer Freedom S100 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N787Z |
| MSN: | 130-001-027 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2008 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 147 hours |
| Engine model: | Rotax 912ULS |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Loxahatchee Nat\'l Game Refuge, Palm Beach Co, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | West Palm Beach, FL (LNA) |
| Okeechobee, FL (OBE) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airline transport pilot departed in his light sport aircraft with a friend, who held a student pilot certificate, on a cross-country flight to another airport for lunch. GPS data showed the airplane maneuvered near the accident site for about 30 minutes, performing multiple climbs, descents, and turns. Several witnesses reported hearing the engine "sputter," which was immediately followed by an advance in engine power. Although the airplane's final movements were not captured by witness reports or radar/GPS data, examination of the accident site showed that the airplane was in a steep descent when it impacted a swamp. The impact geometry was consistent with an in-flight loss of control and subsequent uncontrolled descent to ground impact. A postcrash fire ensued, which consumed most of the airplane.
Postaccident examination of the airplane and the engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Although the environmental conditions were favorable for light icing at glide or cruise power, witnesses reported that the engine regained power after "sputtering"; such a gain in power is not consistent with a carburetor ice condition. The cause of the "sputtering" reported by the witnesses could not be determined because the extensive fire damage precluded testing of the engine-driven fuel pump, carburetors, and ignition system components.
The pilot reported a vibration in the control stick to the airplane manufacturer in the days leading up to the accident. The manufacturer responded to the pilot on the morning of the accident and stated that the vibration could be the result of an inadequately balanced engine or propeller. However, the propeller's effect on the airplane's performance could not be determined because two of the blades were not recovered from the accident site and the acetal pitch change slide block within the propeller hub was consumed by postcrash fire.
Although sedating medications were found in toxicological specimens from both occupants, and the pilot's autopsy found evidence of severe coronary artery disease, the investigation could not determine if these physiological conditions contributed to the accident.
Probable Cause: An in-flight loss of control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Mar-2015 18:38 | gerard57 | Added |
| 02-Mar-2015 18:46 | gerard57 | Updated [Damage, Narrative] |
| 02-Mar-2015 19:57 | Geno | Updated [Location, Source] |
| 02-Mar-2015 21:40 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Mar-2015 16:19 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Mar-2015 16:21 | Geno | Updated [Source] |
| 21-Mar-2015 20:02 | Anon. | Updated [Time] |
| 09-Apr-2015 06:29 | Geno | Updated [Time, Destination airport, Source] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 19-Aug-2017 14:01 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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