History of Flight
On October 19, 2018, at 1000 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Bowers Flybaby, N107KW, was substantially damaged when it crashed near Milton, Florida. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The airplane's owner reported that the pilot was a friend and an experienced military and airline pilot who routinely flew the accident airplane to nearby airports for touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. The owner assisted with the preflight inspection and topped off the fuel tank with 12 gallons of fuel. He then hand-propped the engine while the pilot was in the cockpit and watched him depart to the east. During takeoff and climb, the engine sounded "good and solid."
Witnesses near the accident site reported hearing the engine power increasing and decreasing. One witness stated that the airplane descended to about 100 ft above ground level, just above treetops, when the wings began to rock back and forth. The airplane then made a left turn to the south, immediately rolled left, and descended steeply until impact. Another witness reported hearing a "backfire" during the descent.
Personnel Information
The pilot had completed the requirements of BasicMed on June 19, 2018. His logbooks showed a total of 16 hours in the accident airplane make and model as of the last entry on September 23, 2018, with 4.6 hours and 7.1 hours in the previous 30 and 90 days, respectively.
Aircraft Information
According to FAA records, the airplane was issued a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category on September 20, 2008. It was a single-place, open cockpit, low wing, tailwheel-equipped airplane constructed of wood and fabric. During the last condition inspection on April 26, 2018, the left exhaust stack was repaired with welding; no other mechanical irregularities were noted.
Meteorological Information
Review of the FAA SAIB CE-09-35 "Carburetor Icing Prevention" chart showed a potential for serious icing at glide power settings for the conditions near the time of the accident.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The debris path was confined to an area immediately adjacent to the wreckage near 50-ft-tall trees. Several fresh broken branches were observed in nearby trees. The airplane collided with trees and impacted level terrain on a heading of about 120°. The site was located about 500 ft north of a 2-lane highway, about 1,400 ft east of a county road, and 1,000 ft west of a farm pasture. All primary structural components and flight control surfaces were accounted for.
The cockpit was crushed, but the pilot's four-point harness remained intact. The magneto switch was in the left magneto position, with the key bent at a 90° angle. The throttle control lever was in the out (idle) position, and the carburetor heat and engine primer were in the forward (off) position. The engine remained attached to the firewall, which was separated from the fuselage and partially embedded in the ground. Both wings separated from the fuselage at impact but remained partially attached by tension wires and control cables.
The tail section, including the rudder and elevator, remained attached and showed little damage. Control continuity was established from the rudder, elevator, and ailerons to their respective cockpit controls; no evidence of preimpact failures or malfunctions was found.
One propeller blade was partially fractured about 12 inches from the hub, with minimal rotational scoring and no leading edge gouging. The opposing blade remained attached and intact.
Examination of the engine revealed oil present in the rocker boxes and galleries. Thumb compression and suction on all cylinders were confirmed with the top spark plugs removed through 720° of rotation. All valves, pushrods, and springs operated normally, and rotation was smooth. Pistons appeared well-lubricated with no interior damage. Spark plugs showed minimal wear. The left magneto produced spark from all terminals; the right magneto was damaged by impact forces.
The gascolator and its filter were impact-damaged and devoid of fuel but had an odor consistent with 100 low-lead aviation fuel; the filter screen was clear. The carburetor was impact-damaged near the air intake and throttle disk, but internal components (brass float, plunger, damper) remained intact and undamaged. The fuel line to the carburetor contained residual fuel. The 12-gallon fuel tank mounted on the firewall was breached and contained about 2 gallons of fuel. A water-finding paste test did not reveal the presence of water.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Office of Medical Examiner, District One, Florida, performed an autopsy and determined the manner of death as multiple blunt traumatic injuries. Toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, drugs, and ethanol.