On January 8, 2012, a BOWERS FLY BABY 1-A (registration N4626) was involved in an aviation accident near Jefferson, GA. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin. Also causal was the partial loss of engine power during the initial climb due to the improper installation of a magneto. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An experimental Bowers Fly Baby 1-A, N4626, crashed shortly after takeoff from Jackson County Airport on January 8, 2012, killing the pilot. The aircraft stalled and spun after climbing to 100-200 feet.
Accident Overview and Flight History On January 8, 2012, at approximately 1130 eastern standard time, an experimental, amateur-built Bowers Fly Baby 1-A, registration N4626, was destroyed when it impacted the ground immediately after takeoff from Jackson County Airport (19A) in Jefferson, Georgia. The local, personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. According to an eyewitness, the airplane departed runway 35, climbed to between 100 and 200 feet above ground level, stalled, spun about one-half turn to the right, and impacted the ground approximately 45 degrees nose down. The eyewitness reported that prior to departure, the pilot had stated he was attempting to diagnose an engine problem, although the engine sounded as though it was producing power during the takeoff roll. ## Personnel and Aircraft Information The pilot, age 51, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land and a third-class medical certificate issued August 6, 2009. FAA records indicated the pilot reported 2,082 total flight hours. The single-seat, open-cockpit, folding-wing monoplane was manufactured in 1972 and powered by a Continental A-65-F, 65-horsepower engine. Airframe maintenance logbook records showed a conditional inspection was completed November 29, 2011, at a recorded tachometer reading of 1,425.5 hour, or 343.0 total hours time in service. The engine was found to be airworthy and installed on the airplane on November 29, 2011, by a certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic; however, the entry indicated that the total time and time since major overhaul were unknown. No other engine logbooks were located. An email from the mechanic stated he received the engine as part of a project in April 2010 with no logbooks, and that the engine ran “smooth and strong” when started upon installation. ## Meteorological and Airport Information The 1135 recorded weather observation at 19A included calm wind, visibility 7 miles, scattered clouds at 4,600 feet above ground level, broken clouds at 12,000 feet above ground level, temperature 12 degrees C, dew point 12 degrees C, and barometric altimeter 30.21 inches of mercury. The airport had a single north-south runway designated 17/35, 5,009 feet long and 75 feet wide, constructed of asphalt. The airport did not have an air traffic control tower. Communication was accomplished using a common traffic advisory frequency; however, transmissions were not recorded. ## Wreckage and Impact Information An FAA inspector who responded to the accident location confirmed flight control cable continuity to all flight controls and reported that the airplane was consumed by a post-crash fire. The inspector also reported that an engine cowling had been replaced sometime prior to the accident flight to accommodate the engine installation. A post-accident examination of the engine and propeller by an FAA inspector noted corrosion on the spark plugs and a considerable amount of water within the engine. The engine and both magnetos were thermally damaged. The spark plugs were removed and appeared to be oil-coked. Continuity was confirmed from the propeller flange to the rear accessory pad, and all cylinders operated normally. The left magneto was removed from the accessory pad, and the cotter pin for the drive shaft castellated nut could not be located. The right magneto was then removed. The distributor gear was unsecured inside the housing, and the castellated nut, cotter pin, and washers for the drive shaft could not be located. The inside of the housing had signatures similar to galling. No other preimpact anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation. ## Medical and Pathological Information An autopsy was performed on the pilot on January 10, 2012, by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Division of Forensic Sciences, as requested by the Jackson County Coroner. The autopsy findings included multiple injuries, and the report listed the specific injuries. The cause of death was reported as multiple injuries. The FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the pilot, and no drugs of abuse were detected. ## Additional Information The carburetor icing probability chart from the FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, Carburetor Icing Prevention, dated June 30, 2009, shows a probability of serious icing at cruise power at the temperature and dew point reported at the time of the accident. According to the Illustrated Parts Catalog for the engine, both magnetos were Eisemann model AM-4. According to figure 17, “Rotor Shaft Assembly,” in the Eisemann Magnetos Service Handbook for the AM-4, a cotter pin was to be installed through the castellated nut and rotor shaft.