History of Flight
On May 30, 2018, at about 1348 eastern daylight time, a North American SNJ-2, registration N62382, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Farmingdale, New York. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated by the Geico Skytypers as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 repositioning flight.
The accident airplane was one of six SNJ-2s being repositioned from Republic Airport (FRG) in Farmingdale to Patuxent Naval Air Station (NHK) in Maryland for an upcoming airshow. The lead airplane (No. 1) departed first and held northeast of the airport. The lead's rear seat passenger reported that the accident airplane (No. 6) passed underneath and entered a climbing, "high-G" turn before entering a spin that continued until ground impact.
Flight track data showed the accident airplane depart from runway 14, turn northeast, and climb to about 1,200 ft mean sea level (msl). It then turned northwest, climbing to about 1,300 ft msl, before executing a sharp right turn of about 360° and losing altitude. The airplane completed approximately three more 360° turns before the data ended near the accident site.
A flight instructor in the traffic pattern at FRG observed airplanes No. 5 and No. 6 depart northwest. He saw No. 5 initiate a climbing right 180° turn, similar to a chandelle, from about 800 ft above ground level (agl) with a bank angle of about 70° to 80° until leveling off at 1,200 ft agl. He then watched No. 6 perform the same maneuver, but at the top of the turn it entered a spin and continued spinning at a constant rate until impact. The instructor noted that the pilot did not appear to attempt a recovery.
A witness video captured the airplane in a steep, nose-down descent, rotating around its vertical axis until ground impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot's logbook was not recovered. He had flown with the Skytypers air show team for over 10 years. During May 2018, he accrued about 18 flight hours in the accident airplane and about 3 hours in other Skytyper SNJ-2 aircraft.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The main wreckage and debris were contained within a 50-ft radius. Several trees above and near the accident site were damaged, with limbs and large branches scattered throughout. The first identified point of contact was a crater near the engine and propeller assembly. The main wreckage came to rest upright, with the engine and propeller assembly partially embedded in the crater. Most of the wreckage was consumed by postimpact fire. All flight control surfaces were located at the site.
After recovery, flight control cable continuity was established throughout the airframe. The cabin heater assembly and associated exhaust pipe were removed from the engine. The exhaust pipe was buckled, and wear and openings were noted on the heater assembly. The connected scat tubing exhibited thermal damage. The heater assembly and pipe were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for examination. Findings included cracks along welds at the outboard ends where interior and exterior walls join. Weld segments overlapping as-manufactured welds and welded patches consistent with repair welds were noted in multiple locations. Preexisting cracks were identified, along with recent ductile overstress fractures resulting from the accident.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Suffolk County Office of the Medical Examiner performed an autopsy. The pilot's cause of death was multiple blunt impact injuries. No significant natural disease was identified, and no soot was found in the airways. A toxicology examination conducted in coordination with the autopsy detected a carbon monoxide (CO) level of 10%.
Testing by the FAA's Forensic Sciences Laboratory did not identify CO (reporting cutoff of 10%) or any other tested substances. CO is an odorless, tasteless gas produced by combustion. When inhaled, it binds to hemoglobin, reducing oxygen-carrying capacity. Nonsmokers typically have up to 3% carboxyhemoglobin; heavy smokers may have levels of 10 to 15%. Symptoms from acute exposure are not generally expected until levels exceed 15%.