History of Flight
On April 6, 2012, at 1645 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Comp Air 8 CA8-SF, registration N548SF, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground shortly after takeoff from Everglades Airpark (X01) in Everglades City, Florida. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight destined for Merritt Island Airport (COI). The pilot, a professional fisherman who produced his own fishing show, had flown into the airport earlier in the week to film. His cameraman drove him to the airport on the day of the accident, observed the preflight inspection, and then left before the takeoff.
A witness saw the airplane depart from runway 33 and make a sharp right turn at an altitude of about 100 to 150 feet. The airplane became almost inverted with the right wing down before rolling back toward a level attitude. The nose remained down, and the airplane banked left before impacting the ground in a 10-15 degree left-wing-low attitude. Another witness, also a pilot, observed the airplane take off with an extremely sharp upward angle, shimmying the wings (indicative of a stall), then heard a change in propeller pitch as the airplane turned sharply to the right with the wind before flattening out and impacting.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent third-class FAA medical certificate was issued on February 24, 2011, at which time he reported 1,208 hours of total flight experience. His previous medical certificate in 2006 reported 621 hours, and his first in 2004 reported 30 hours. The pilot's family could not locate any pilot logbooks.
Aircraft Information
The Comp Air 8 was a single-engine kit-built airplane powered by a Walter 601 turboprop engine. The pilot built the airplane, completing it in 2006. The last documented maintenance by an engine facility was on September 7, 2010, to address internal and external corrosion. About four weeks before the accident, a facility performed maintenance on the nose wheel and cleaned oil from the underside of the cowling and fuselage. The pilot often performed his own maintenance. No logbooks for the airplane or engine were located.
Meteorological Information
The wind recorded at Naples Municipal Airport (KAPF), about 27 nautical miles northwest of the accident site, at 1753 was from 310 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 21 knots. The operations log for X01 contained comments from other pilots that day noting winds of 14-22 knots.
Airport Information
Everglades Airpark comprised a single asphalt runway, 2,400 feet long and 60 feet wide, oriented on a heading of 15/33 degrees. The overnight parking log confirmed the pilot arrived on March 31, 2012.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane impacted the ground about 275 yards east of the departure end of runway 33. The wreckage path was about 20 feet long, beginning with two indentations similar to the propeller spinner. The propeller separated from the engine and was found before the main wreckage, which was oriented on a heading of 050 degrees and nearly consumed by post-crash fire. The left wing separated and came to rest atop the cockpit; the engine separated and rested near the left wing leading edge. Flight control continuity was confirmed. Examination of the engine and propeller revealed damage consistent with power application exceeding 94% at impact. No mechanical anomalies were found, and the pilot's seat was in the appropriate position.
Medical and Pathological Information
The autopsy listed the cause of death as multiple blunt injuries with conflagration. The report noted marked atherosclerosis with 80% stenosis in the coronary arteries. Toxicological testing detected nordiazepam in blood (0.046 ug/ml) and urine, oxazepam in urine, and temazepam in urine—all metabolites of diazepam (Valium), a central nervous system depressant. The pilot had denied taking any medication on his medical applications. His FAA medical file showed no other significant events beyond a hip replacement.
Additional Information
The airplane was fueled with 152 gallons of Jet A on March 31 at COI; no fuel was purchased at X01. A hard drive recovered from the wreckage contained no accident flight data. A witness reported seeing the airplane buzzing an island a few days prior, performing steep turns at low altitude. An operations specialist at X01 stated the pilot had a history of "hotdogging," often making steep right turns after takeoff despite the required left turn pattern; he had been reminded about procedures multiple times. The pilot had received four speeding tickets (1990-2012) and had a DUI arrest that was appealed and not convicted, resulting in a reckless driving charge. He reported this to the FAA, and his medical application noted the incident. No prior accidents were on his FAA airman file.