History of Flight
On February 27, 2018, about 1925 eastern standard time, a Quest Aircraft Company Kodiak 100 airplane, N969TB, was substantially damaged when it impacted a river near Georgetown, Florida. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was privately owned and operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which was destined for Mount Royal Airport (3FL0), Welaka, Florida.
A witness stated that the airplane departed 3FL0 about 1530 on the day of the accident. According to air traffic control data from the Federal Aviation Administration, a radar target identified as the accident airplane overflew 3FL0 about 975 ft mean sea level (msl) about 1911 and then made a right turn over the Ocala National Forest. It descended over the forest to 775 ft msl, continued the right turn back to the airport, which it overflew a second time about 1920, then entered a climbing left turn to 1,200 ft msl. The airplane continued the left turn and began a descent that continued to impact with a river about 1 mile west of the airport.
Another witness who saw the airplane shortly before the accident reported that it was flying "really low" and was in a 45° bank left turn; the airplane "wobbled" once and continued the turn. She noted that the lights on the airplane had "halos" around them because it was foggy, and that the engine sounded "fine."
Local law enforcement and recovery personnel reported that there were no downed tree branches or powerlines along the river shoreline near the accident site.
Personnel Information
According to FAA records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, single-engine sea, multiengine land, multiengine sea, and instrument airplane. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on November 27, 2016, at which time he reported 3,400 total hours of flight experience, with 20 hours in the previous 6 months. The pilot's logbook was not recovered, so his total flight experience and recency could not be determined. He previously reported hypertension and gout to the FAA, and in 2005, he reported having had triple vessel coronary artery bypass surgery. By 2007, he received a special issuance medical certificate. No significant abnormalities were noted on his most recent physical exam, and a review of information from his cardiologist from January 2017 showed a recent nuclear stress test that did not identify any reversible ischemia.
The pilot-rated passenger held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land and airplane multiengine sea, commercial privileges for single-engine land and sea, and a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine and instrument airplane. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued on October 4, 2013, at which time he reported 23,165 total hours of flight experience.
Aircraft Information
According to FAA airworthiness records, the airplane was manufactured in 2016 and issued an airworthiness certificate in April 2016. It was equipped with a Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-34, 750-horsepower engine that powered a 4-bladed Hartzell constant speed propeller. A Hobbs meter located in the wreckage indicated about 68 hours.
Meteorological Information
The 1915 recorded weather observation at Palatka Municipal Airport – Lt. Kay Larkin Field (28J), Palatka, Florida, about 13 miles north of the accident location, included wind from 050° at 8 knots, 10 miles visibility, an overcast cloud layer at 1,500 ft above ground level, temperature 17°C, dew point 15°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.25 inches of mercury.
According to the Astronomical Applications Department at the United States Naval Observatory, sunset was at 1824, end of civil twilight at 1848, and moonrise at 1605. The moon phase was waxing gibbous with 93% illumination.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted a river and came to rest inverted in about 10 ft of water. All major components were recovered except the outboard section of the left wing and the left aileron. The forward fuselage was crushed aft. The right wing separated from the fuselage on impact, and an unquantified amount of Jet A fuel drained from it when moved for examination. The inboard left wing section separated, and the left flap separated. The flap jackscrew corresponded to full flap extension. The empennage remained attached; horizontal stabilizers and elevators were cut for recovery. The cockpit was impact damaged; the attitude indicator showed rotational scoring on the gyro housing. Flight control continuity was obtained from all surfaces to the cockpit through tensile overload breaks and cuts.
The propeller remained attached to the reduction gearbox but separated from the engine. All four blades remained attached to the hub; one was in a feathered position. Two blades exhibited S-bending, two were bent aft, and leading edge gouging was noted on three blades.
The engine separated from the airframe and was recovered from the river. The left exhaust stack was impact crushed; the right received minor damage. The reduction gear box chip detector showed no debris. Continuity was confirmed between the compressor turbine and accessory section by rotating the compressor turbine. Rotational scoring was noted on the compressor turbine. The power turbine exhibited rotational scoring on the fir tree disk, blades, and leading edge of shroud tips; the power turbine shroud also had rotational scoring.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Office of the Medical Examiner of Florida performed autopsies on both occupants. The autopsy report indicated that both died from multiple blunt force injuries. The pilot-rated passenger's autopsy revealed dilated coronary arteries with moderate to severe calcific atherosclerosis: 70-80% stenosis of the left anterior descending, and up to 60-70% stenosis of the circumflex and right coronary arteries. The remainder of the cardiac exam was unremarkable.
The FAA's Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicological testing. For the pilot, 0.025 gm/dl of ethanol was found in muscle but not in liver tissue, indicating likely postmortem production. An unspecified level of valsartan was identified in muscle and liver. For the pilot-rated passenger, unspecified levels of valsartan, rosuvastatin, and amlodipine were found in cavity blood; these plus clopidogrel were identified in urine. According to FAA Forensic Toxicology Drug Information, amlodipine treats high blood pressure, clopidogrel inhibits blood clots, rosuvastatin reduces cholesterol, and valsartan treats high blood pressure. None are considered impairing.