Experimental Free Bird Classic Destroyed During First Flight Near Kylertown, Pennsylvania (N176FB)

Accident Overview and Flight Details On October 12, 2015, at 1835 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Free Bird Classic airplane, N176FB, was destroyed while maneuvering to land at a private airstrip near Kylertown, Pennsylvania. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from the same private airstrip at approximately 1815. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions existed near the accident site, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot's son stated that his father had recently built the airplane and that this was its first flight. Several witnesses reported hearing the airplane fly circuits around the private airstrip. One witness described the airplane as preparing to land and about 50 feet above the ground in a level flight attitude when it suddenly nosed over. Another witness stated the airplane made two circuits and was coming in to land. While on final approach in a level attitude at an altitude of about 100 feet above the ground, the right wing suddenly flipped up about 90 degrees, and the airplane descended toward the ground. Multiple witnesses heard the engine rev up just before impact. The airplane came to rest on a road in a steep, nose-down attitude about 500 yards short of the runway. There was no post-impact fire. Law enforcement photos taken shortly after the accident showed the cockpit and fuselage were crushed, and both wings and the empennage were damaged. The empennage, including the tail control surfaces, was twisted and bent forward over the fuselage. ## Wreckage Examination and Maintenance Records A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector performed a postaccident examination of the wreckage. The inspector stated that the left wing, engine, and right wing fuel tank had separated from the airframe, and the right wing was torn apart, which prohibited a complete examination of the flight control system. No flight-data recording avionics were installed in the airplane. A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that the FAA issued the airplane a special airworthiness certificate on August 27, 2015, at which time the airplane had 0 hours. ## Pilot Background and Medical Findings The 83-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land and was a certified repairman and experimental-aircraft builder. A review of his logbook revealed he had a total of 682 flight hours and had completed a flight review with a flight instructor on September 16, 2015. The pilot's last FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in 2005. An autopsy was conducted by the J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital Laboratory, and the cause of death was reported as blunt force trauma. The FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute performed forensic toxicology testing on specimens from the pilot, and the results were negative for all items tested. ## Weather Conditions Weather reported at Clearfield-Lawrence Airport (FIG), Clearfield, Pennsylvania, about 17 miles west of the accident site at 1855, was wind variable at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, and clear skies.