History of Flight
On August 9, 2021, at about 1656 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Pitts Model 12, registration N112JH, was substantially damaged when it struck a lake near Ocklawaha, Florida. The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The pilot was performing local aerobatic maneuvers. According to flight track data, the airplane completed three loops, then entered a climb and descent, at which point the data ended. Multiple witnesses reported seeing the airplane spiraling toward the water; none reported observing the airplane before that moment. One witness captured cell phone video showing the airplane in an inverted flat spin, followed by a nose-down spin and impact with the lake. The audio recorded a continuous engine sound until the airplane hit the water. The pilot and passenger were wearing parachutes; the pilot was seen jumping from the airplane at low altitude. The video did not display the parachute deploying before water contact, but witnesses stated the parachute was open and floating on the water.
Pilot Information
The pilot's personal logbook was not located. According to a ferry pilot, the accident pilot had purchased the airplane about one year before the accident and hired the ferry pilot to help move it to his home airport. The ferry pilot noted that during the takeoff, the accident pilot was "all over with the rudder." Two landings were performed at the destination before completing the flight. The ferry pilot offered flight instruction, but the accident pilot declined, stating, "I know how to fly an airplane and you are too expensive." The ferry pilot believed that the accident flight was the first time the pilot had flown the airplane with a passenger.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Postaccident examination revealed that the wood and fabric wings were destroyed by the water impact. The fuselage remained intact but sustained impact damage. The rudder and elevator remained attached to the fuselage; the left elevator was displaced 90° downward. Flight control continuity was established from the rudder and elevator to the control stick. The throttle control was found in the full forward position, and the propeller control was mid-range. Approximately 6 feet of the upper wing was impact damaged but remained attached by cables; the aileron remained attached, and the control rod was fractured. Other wing pieces were found floating in a large debris field on the water. The engine was impact damaged but remained attached to the airframe by cables and wires. The front spark plugs in the radial engine were fractured; rear spark plugs were removed and showed normal wear signatures. Several push rods were impact-separated. The rear accessory case was impact damaged, and several components were separated. The propeller remained attached to the engine, but all three blades were separated at the hub. The engine rotated smoothly by hand at the propeller flange, and continuity was established throughout the engine. The postaccident examination of the airframe and engine found no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.