History of Flight
On December 22, 2018, at 1012 eastern standard time, a BRM Aero Bristell special light-sport airplane, N587BL, was destroyed when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL), Lakeland, Florida. The solo student pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Industrial Mobile Cranes, Inc., and operated by the student pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 training flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 0945.
According to a friend who lived with the student pilot, the evening before and the morning of the accident were routine. The student pilot planned to stay in the traffic pattern and practice touch-and-go landings at LAL, his home airport. The student's flight instructor reported he was not contacted before the accident flight and was unaware of the solo flight; the student had previously contacted him before all past solo flights.
Air traffic control communications revealed two completed touch-and-go landings on runway 27 in a left traffic pattern. Before the third landing, the tower controller instructed the student to fly a right traffic pattern after departure to avoid a potential conflict with another airplane. The student responded, "affirmative, right traffic after this touch and go," which was the last radio transmission.
Surveillance video from an airport building showed the accident airplane shortly after liftoff from runway 27 following the third touch-and-go. After rotation and a brief climb, the airplane maintained a level attitude for about 4 seconds, then resumed a normal climb for about 14 seconds. As it climbed, its pitch attitude further increased, causing rapid altitude gain. The airplane then disappeared from view; when it reappeared, it was in a steep, descending left turn heading opposite the takeoff heading. A second camera showed the airplane impacting terrain in a near-vertical attitude, followed by a postimpact explosion and fire.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a student pilot certificate and was not required to hold a medical certificate under sport pilot provisions. A logbook review showed flight training began in October 2015, with 108.8 total flight hours. The first flight in the accident airplane was on November 16, 2017, accumulating 32.8 hours in type, including 6.4 solo hours. In the preceding 90 days, the student logged 8.6 hours, all in the accident airplane. The logbook contained a valid 90-day solo endorsement issued October 18, 2018, for the airplane model, with a crosswind limitation of less than 11 knots.
Aircraft Information
The single-engine, low-wing airplane was powered by a Rotax 912 ULS engine driving a three-blade, fixed-pitch propeller. An annual and 100-hour condition inspection were completed in April 2018, with 390.8 total flight hours at that time. Aerodynamic stall speeds were 45 KIAS with no flaps and 38 KIAS with full flaps. The airplane was equipped with a Dynon Skyview primary flight display with audio and visual angle-of-attack stall warning.
Meteorological Information
At 0950, about 22 minutes before the accident, LAL reported wind from 360° at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 1,800 ft, temperature 12°C, dew point 8°C, and altimeter 30.18 inHg. At 1053, about 41 minutes after, wind was from 310° at 12 knots gusting to 16 knots.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted an open field on the airport about 800 ft south of runway 27 and came to rest upright. A postcrash fire consumed most of the cockpit, avionics, and fuselage. Both wing leading edges displayed significant aft crushing. The empennage remained intact with minimal fire damage. The engine was impact and fire damaged; all three propeller blades were fragmented. Control cable continuity was established from cockpit to control surfaces. Engine continuity was confirmed when the propeller hub was manually rotated. The ignition harness was consumed by fire. One carburetor had foreign material consistent with postcrash fire damage; the other was debris-free.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsy results determined the pilot's cause of death as blunt impact to the head and torso. The pilot had early coronary artery disease. Toxicology testing identified 0.015 gm/dl of ethanol in muscle specimens but none in brain specimens; cetirizine was identified in liver and muscle specimens. No blood was available for testing. Ethanol can be produced postmortem; cetirizine is a sedating antihistamine.
Additional Information
The NTSB investigator-in-charge was unable to travel to the accident site due to the lapse in appropriations funding from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019.