History of Flight
On July 4, 2016, about 1128 mountain daylight time, an amateur-built Seawind airplane, N46EB, was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire during a forced landing near Buena Vista, Colorado. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to Boeve Enterprises, Inc., and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Lake County Airport (LXV), Leadville, Colorado, at an unconfirmed time, destined for Central Colorado Regional Airport (AEJ), Buena Vista. The pilot had flown the accident airplane from AEJ to LXV earlier that day and was returning to AEJ when the accident occurred. The airplane owner, who witnessed the takeoff from LXV, reported no problems during takeoff roll and initial climb.
A witness at AEJ reported hearing the pilot declare a "mayday" on the airport common traffic advisory frequency, stating he was straight in for runway 15. The pilot did not specify the nature of the emergency. Witnesses near the accident site reported hearing the engine running extremely rough, as if on only three cylinders, with the wings rocking back and forth. One witness observed the airplane about 200 to 300 ft agl, descending rapidly. The airplane made a steep left turn with landing gear extended, and the witness lost sight before impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine and multiengine land ratings, and a second-class medical certificate issued September 4, 2015, with the limitation "Must wear corrective lenses." His logbook was not recovered; however, he reported 2,000 total flight hours and 35 hours in the six months preceding his last medical examination.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a composite, four-seat, amphibian Seawind with a single tail-mounted engine. It was assembled from a kit and had retractable tricycle landing gear. It was powered by a six-cylinder Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D engine rated at 300 horsepower.
Meteorological Information
At 1115, recorded weather at AEJ: wind 140° at 8 knots, clear sky, temperature 22°C, dew point 3°C, altimeter 30.35 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was about 4 miles at 330° from AEJ, in an open, flat field with sparse vegetation. The initial impact point, about 15 ft south of the main wreckage, contained the nose landing gear. The airplane came to rest inverted, heading north. The entire airplane was almost completely consumed by postimpact fire. Remnants of all major components and control surfaces were found nearby. The control system consisted mainly of cable controls; all cables and attachments were intact except one aileron cable turnbuckle that exhibited overload failure from impact. The elevator pushrod was intact, but the composite bellcrank was mostly consumed by fire. Engine control push-pull cables were traced from cockpit to engine; throttle and mixture cables were intact and attached. The propeller control cable was intact to the governor. No anomalies were found in the airframe, flight controls, or engine controls, but fire damage precluded complete examination and testing.
The engine was examined on-site, still attached to the mount. The oil sump and rear accessory case were fire-damaged. Accessory gears showed no anomalies. The dual magneto remained in place but its aluminum components were consumed. The fuel control servo was almost completely consumed. Upper spark plugs were examined; right side plugs were oil-covered due to engine position, but combustion deposits indicated normal burn; left side plugs were dry with normal deposits. Valve covers were removed; right side cylinders contained oil, indicating oil was present before impact. No anomalies were noted in valves or rocker arms. Fire damage precluded complete examination.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed July 5, 2016, by the El Paso County Coroner's Office listed cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the accident. Toxicology testing by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute was negative for all substances in the screening profile.