History of Flight
On May 6, 2011, at 2328 eastern daylight time, a special light sport Czech Sport Aircraft AS Piper Sport, N420PS, was substantially damaged when it impacted wooded terrain in Spring Hill, Florida. The certificated commercial pilot was fatally injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight from Page Field (FMY), Fort Myers, Florida, to Joliet Regional Airport (JOT), Joliet, Illinois. The positioning flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The airplane departed Fort Myers at 2213. The pilot received flight following from Tampa Approach Control and was advised to contact Jacksonville Center, which he acknowledged. No further transmissions were received.
Radar data showed the airplane northbound at 6,500 feet over a residential area at 2327:53. At 2327:57, altitude was 6,400 feet; at 2328:02, 6,000 feet, indicating an average descent rate of about 4,800 feet per minute. The final altitude readout at 2328:11 was 3,500 feet, with a descent rate exceeding 16,000 feet per minute. Radar returns then ceased, but several skin paint returns led to the impact site. No other objects were detected near the airplane at 6,500 feet.
A witness about 1/3 mile southeast of the impact site reported seeing what he thought was a helicopter spiraling toward the ground, then a red burst and smoke. He did not note an in-flight fire.
Aircraft Information
The low-wing, two-seat aluminum airplane was powered by a single 100-horsepower Rotax 912ULS engine. Flight controls were moved via conventional rudder pedals and a control stick. Access was via a front-hinged bubble canopy latched by a T-handle in the center divider. Occupants used four-point harnesses with attachment points on each side of the seat and aft of the seat. The airplane was equipped with a glass cockpit, autopilot, and a Ballistic Recovery Systems whole-airplane parachute system. It was not approved for night operations, lacking required instrument and interior lighting.
The airplane was registered to a limited liability company. According to an owner, the logbooks were on board. The airplane had about 100 hours total time and had an annual inspection on or about April 14, 2011. The aircraft was carrying golf equipment and personal items.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 23, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine and multi-engine land airplanes, and instrument-airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate. His latest FAA first-class medical was issued March 14, 2011, reporting 2,350 total flight hours. According to an owner, the pilot had provided instruction in the accident airplane and had flown one owner from Illinois to Florida the previous fall.
The pilot's father stated the pilot was in a positive place in life, with no history of mental illness or medication use. An owner reported the pilot departed Joliet around 1200-1300 on the accident day, flew commercially to Fort Myers, and was picked up by a friend and taken to the hangar about an hour before the flight. The owner offered overnight accommodations, but the pilot declined, saying he had slept well the previous night.
Meteorological Information
Weather recorded at 2353 at an airport about 1 nautical mile east included calm winds, clear skies, and 7 statute miles visibility. U.S. Naval Observatory data indicated a waxing crescent moon with 11 percent illumination set at 2324.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted the ground near 28° 28.08' N, 082° 29.10' W. A post-crash fire consumed most of the wreckage except the tail section, which had no soot streaks indicative of in-flight fire. Impact signatures suggested an almost vertical, nose-down, slightly inverted descent. All flight controls were accounted for; wing and tail leading edges showed no bird strike evidence. The engine and propeller indicated power at impact.
Canopy shards were found in smaller quantities than expected; only one of two cam latch studs was located, undamaged except by fire. The BRS activation handle was found without the safety pin installed; the firing pin was still inserted, but the drogue chute had partially deployed, consistent with post-crash fire.
Pilot restraint harness pieces were recovered, including a seatbelt buckle without a receiver and a harness adjustment mechanism with belt material under tensional pull. The pilot was found about 800 feet laterally from the last radar position, 1,800 feet from the impact site. A debris field extended 3,000 feet from near the airplane's track, with heavier items like a flashlight and battery closer to the track, and lighter items like a headset and papers farther.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing showed no anomalies. The autopsy noted abrasions on the pilot's shoulders and bruising across his torso. Photographs showed light bruising under the rib cage and abrasions around the neck in the pattern of a collar.
Testing and Research
An NTSB investigator of similar height to the pilot sat in an exemplar airplane and donned the harness. With the risers loosened and lap belt unbuckled, leaning forward and pulling upward duplicated the abrasions found on the pilot. The marks could not be replicated with the harness tight. The volunteer found that reaching toward the back required unbuckling the lap belt and loosening the risers; turning to the right caused the left leg to push the left rudder and the control stick to move right. The loosened right riser mechanism could reach the position of the closed canopy release lever. Headset wires could loop around the T-handle.
Additional Information
The airplane was sold under the Piper name, but Piper Aircraft Company declined to assist; U.S. Sport Aircraft provided assistance. The Pilot's Operating Handbook Supplement 03 addresses inadvertent canopy opening during takeoff, noting that at 60-80 knots, the canopy opens 2-3.2 inches with no flight problems. It advises against trying to close the canopy, recommends a maximum airspeed of 75 knots for landing, and cautions against slips. A video showed the canopy can open wider than 3.2 inches in flight.