Flight History
On March 2, 2015, at about 1252 eastern standard time, a Colyaer Freedom S100, registration N787Z, collided with terrain following a loss of control near Boynton Beach, Florida. The airline transport-rated pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The aircraft was registered to the pilot and operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 local personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA) in West Palm Beach, Florida, at 1217.
The pilot's wife reported that the pilot and passenger had planned to fly to Okeechobee, Florida, for lunch and then return. Data from an onboard Garmin 496 GPS unit showed that after departure, the airplane maintained a westerly course to a wildlife refuge about 9 nautical miles west of LNA. The airplane then maneuvered over the refuge, completing numerous descents, climbs, and turns. The last GPS point at 1251:18 recorded an altitude of 883 ft and a ground speed of 57 knots.
Witnesses fishing about half a mile from the accident site observed the airplane over the refuge for 20 to 30 minutes and then heard the engine make a sputtering sound. One witness described it as similar to a boat motor running out of fuel. The engine then revved up almost instantaneously, followed by a loud boom about 30 seconds later. The witnesses did not see the descent or impact but noticed smoke from the wreckage after it came to rest.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 64, held an airline transport certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land and single-engine sea. He reported 19,400 total flight hours and 300 hours in the previous 6 months on his most recent first-class medical certificate application dated February 3, 2015. A personal logbook showed 128 hours in the accident airplane make and model from March 2008 to December 2013; his wife estimated an additional 5 hours between January 2014 and the accident. A 72-hour history indicated normal activities and 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep the night before. No abnormalities in behavior or sleep were noted.
The passenger, aged 66, held a student pilot certificate with a solo endorsement for a Czech Sport Aircraft Sportcruiser and did not possess a medical certificate. His logbook showed about 36 total flight hours as of the accident. A 48-hour history indicated he stayed near home, had planned the flight weeks prior, and had no health issues except taking cholesterol medication.
Aircraft Information
The amphibious airplane was manufactured in 2008 and registered to the pilot on May 30, 2008. It was powered by a Rotax 912 ULS, normally-aspirated, direct drive, 4-stroke liquid and air-cooled, 100 hp reciprocating engine. Aircraft logbooks were not recovered; maintenance history was reconstructed from handwritten copies provided by the mechanic. The most recent condition inspection occurred on February 20, 2015, at about 146 total flight hours.
The pilot had purchased the airplane in 2008 with about 23 hours and received training from the previous owner and manufacturer. The pilot's wife noted they were selling the airplane due to reduced flying. About a week before the accident, the pilot demonstrated it to two prospective buyers. During one demonstration, a cylinder head temperature probe was replaced; the mechanic performed a ground run with no anomalies. The pilot had also reported a small vibration in the control stick to the manufacturer, who responded that it could be due to an inadequately balanced engine or propeller. The mechanic stated that only one propeller had been installed on the airplane: a Warp Drive propeller replaced in October 2012 with an Airmaster AP332R variable pitch hub and three Warp Drive blades. The mechanic did not recall if the propeller had been balanced.
Meteorological Information
At 1253, weather at Boca Raton Airport, about 10 miles south, included wind from 090° at 7 knots gusting 14 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 2,200 and 2,700 ft, broken at 3,700 ft, temperature 26°C, dew point 20°C, and barometric altimeter 30.23 inches of mercury. An FAA carburetor icing probability chart indicated conditions conducive to light icing at glide or cruise power.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest upright in swamp water on a southeasterly heading about 40 ft from a dirt road and 1 nm from the final GPS target. All major components were accounted for. Most of the fuselage and empennage were consumed by fire. The right wing showed fire damage, the wingtip was separated, and the inboard wood spar was broken at the fuselage. The elevator separated and was located several feet behind the wreckage. All three composite propeller blades fractured and separated from the hub.
Airframe examination confirmed continuity of aileron, elevator, and rudder control cables. Fuel tanks were destroyed except the fuselage tank, which contained trace blue fuel resembling 100 low lead aviation gasoline. The gascolator filter was debris-free, and the bowl was void of fuel. Throttle and choke controls were confirmed.
The propeller hub and blade remnants were sent to the NTSB materials lab. The pitch change mechanism wires and metallic components were intact, but the acetal pitch change slide was melted and not attached to the drive screw. The propeller extension shaft measured about 10 inches, which was 4.72 inches beyond the engine manufacturer's maximum limitation.
Engine examination revealed the crankshaft could not be rotated due to thermal damage. Electronic ignition modules and external triggers were consumed by fire. The engine-driven fuel pump and carburetors were destroyed. Spark plugs appeared gray, with gaps within limits; rust deposits were noted on some cases. Cylinder heads showed fire exposure, but piston signatures were normal, and cylinder bores had cross-hatching without scoring or oil starvation. Valves, springs, rocker arms, and push rods showed no anomalies. The oil pump was thermally damaged, but the internal gearset of the reduction gearbox showed no anomalies with oil residue.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies of both occupants by the District 15 Medical Examiner listed cause of death as blunt impact injuries of head, neck, torso, and thermal injuries. The pilot's autopsy revealed significant diffuse, calcific, severe coronary artery disease with 75-80% narrowing in the left anterior descending and right coronary arteries and a scar along the septum.
Forensic toxicology testing on the pilot detected cetirizine and losartan in blood and urine, and salicylate in urine. Testing on the passenger detected cetirizine, chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine, hydroxyzine, losartan, naproxen, quinine, and salicylate in urine; cetirizine, chlorpheniramine (0.022 ug/ml), diphenhydramine (0.0031 ug/ml), and losartan were also identified in cavity blood. All four antihistamines carry warnings about drowsiness and operating machinery; the FAA recommends waiting 5 maximum dosing intervals before flight.
Probable Cause
Not explicitly stated in the source.