Accident Overview
On March 26, 2019, about 1710 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Fisher Flying Products Dakota Hawk, registration N30271, impacted terrain during a forced landing shortly after takeoff from Little River Airport (FL10), McAlpin, Florida. The private pilot was uninjured, and the airplane was destroyed by a post-impact fire. The aircraft was privately owned and operated as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
According to the pilot, he intended to practice touch-and-go landings in the airport traffic pattern. He performed a preflight inspection, allowed the engine to idle for 5–7 minutes to warm up, and completed an engine run-up with no anomalies noted. The engine operated at low power for a total of 8–10 minutes prior to takeoff from the 2,668-ft-long by 50-ft-wide turf runway 27. The pilot stated that the takeoff run was longer than usual and that he passed his established abort point because he was preoccupied watching his airspeed. Upon reaching rotation speed, he determined it was no longer safe to abort the takeoff and continued, although the engine did not seem to be producing normal power. He barely cleared trees at the end of the runway, and shortly thereafter "the left wing dropped." He lowered the nose to prevent a stall but determined he had insufficient altitude to recover and landed straight ahead in a young pine tree plantation. He safely egressed before a post-impact fire destroyed the airplane.
The airplane came to rest about 1,000 ft beyond the departure end of runway 27. Most of the airplane, except for a portion of the empennage and the engine, was destroyed by the post-impact fire.
Pilot Information
According to FAA airman records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. The pilot reported 87 total hours of flight experience, of which 18 hours were in the accident airplane make and model.
Aircraft Information
According to FAA airworthiness records, the airplane, serial number DH-26, was built in 2002. It was equipped with a Continental O-200-A engine, rated at 100 horsepower, driving a ground adjustable variable-pitch propeller. Maintenance records indicate the last condition inspection was performed on January 30, 2019, at a total time-in-service of 508.9 hours. The engine had accrued 4,502.1 total hours of operation, with 523.1 hours since its last major overhaul.
Wreckage Examination
The wreckage was recovered for detailed examination. Examination of the engine revealed that the carburetor was fractured off. Borescope inspection of the cylinders showed no damage to cylinder walls or pistons. The cylinders were oil-soaked, but the engine had been rotated several times for transportation. The propeller was rotated by hand, and thumb compression was established on all cylinders. Continuity of the power and valvetrains was established throughout the engine. The rocker covers were removed, and the rocker arms, springs, and push rods appeared normal. The right magneto was removed and its input shaft rotated by hand; spark was observed from all leads. The left magneto was removed and rotated by hand; no spark was present. Examination of the left magneto revealed that the post-accident fire had melted its internal components. The carburetor was intact and disassembled; although fire-damaged, all components appeared intact and serviceable, and the inlet screen was clear of debris.
Weather Conditions
The 1715 weather reported at Suwannee County Airport (24J), Live Oak, Florida, located 13 miles northwest of the accident site, included wind from 360° at 6 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 8,000 ft, temperature 25°C, dew point 9°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.96 inches of mercury. The calculated relative humidity was 36%.
According to a Carburetor Icing-Probability Chart recommended by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were "conducive to moderate icing at cruise power and serious icing at descent power." FAA Advisory Circular 20-113 explains that pilots should regularly use carburetor heat under conditions known to be conducive to induction system icing and be alert for indications of icing.