Accident Overview
On June 22, 2014, at approximately 1545 eastern daylight time, a Christen Industries Inc. A-1 (Husky) aircraft, registration N436C, was substantially damaged during a takeoff attempt at Tampa Executive Airport (VDF) in Tampa, Florida. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the intended local flight.
Witness Accounts
Two witnesses employed at the airport observed the accident. They stated that the airplane departed from the grass area adjacent to runway 23. Immediately after becoming airborne, at an altitude of about 30 feet above ground level, the airplane entered a steep left bank. It then turned approximately 270 degrees before the nose dropped and the aircraft impacted the ramp area in a left-wing-and-nose-low attitude. One witness noted that the engine noise was loud during the turn. She recorded a video of the takeoff, which was later forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory. Review of the video confirmed the witnesses' descriptions of the steep left bank and continuous engine noise.
Wreckage Examination
The airplane came to rest upright on the tarmac. An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and found that all three wooden propeller blades had separated from the hub. The engine was partially separated from the airframe and had canted to the right. Both wing outboard leading edges showed impact damage, and the flaps were partially extended. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the elevator, rudder, and right aileron to the cockpit area; left aileron continuity could not be verified due to impact damage. The pilot's five-point harness was intact but unbuckled. Witnesses confirmed that the harness was not fastened when the pilot was recovered.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
According to the pilot's most recent application for an FAA second-class medical certificate, issued on March 27, 2013, he had accumulated 3,600 total hours of flight experience. His logbook was not recovered. The aircraft's most recent annual inspection was completed on December 28, 2013, at a total airframe and engine time of 1,250 hours. The engine had operated 817 hours since major overhaul at that time.
An autopsy performed by the State of Florida District 13 Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death as blunt impact to the head and neck. Toxicological tests conducted by the FAA were negative for drugs, ethanol, and carbon monoxide.
In a conversation with law enforcement, the pilot's widow stated that the pilot had probably crashed on purpose, as the couple had been separated for about one year and she had moved out of their residence four days prior to the accident.