History of Flight
On May 21, 2023, at about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Commander 114TC airplane, registration N6042E, was destroyed in an accident near Palm City, Florida. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted as a personal operation under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
An eyewitness near the accident site reported observing the airplane flying at low altitude over trees. The engine initially sounded normal but then emitted a strange noise and abruptly stopped. The airplane entered a descending turn, impacted the ground, and slid to a stop in a small ditch. After impact, a fire erupted and engulfed the cockpit. Bystanders attempted to extricate the pilot but were unsuccessful. Emergency services arrived and extinguished the fire.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located approximately 700 yards north of the departure end of runway 36 at Naked Lady Ranch Airport (64FA) in Stuart, Florida. All flight control surfaces were accounted for. The cockpit and fuselage sustained impact and fire damage. Flight control cables remained exposed and intact, with continuity established throughout the system. The left and right wings were damaged by impact and fire, while the vertical and horizontal stabilizers remained intact. The rudder and elevators showed soot from the ground fire.
The fuel selector was found in the right tank position. Forced-air testing confirmed proper operation of all selector positions and detent. The amount of fuel in each tank could not be determined due to fire damage.
The engine remained attached to its mounts and exhibited fire damage. It was equipped with a three-blade propeller. One blade appeared undamaged, another had chordwise scoring and a bent tip, and the third was bent aft beneath the fuselage.
Engine examination revealed continuous valvetrain continuity throughout the engine and accessory components during 720° rotation of the crankshaft. Compression was observed in all cylinders. Oil leakage from impact-damaged oil supply lines was noted. Spark plugs appeared normal. Magnetos produced spark on all terminals when rotated. The propeller governor oil screen was free of debris. Both vacuum pumps were damaged from impact and heat. The fuel pump demonstrated continuous pumping during rotation. Fuel injectors showed no clogging. A trace amount of fuel was found in the fuel divider. The fuel inlet screen was clear. Both turbocharger turbine wheels were undamaged and spun freely with no debris on the inlet side.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the District 19 Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as blunt force injuries and the manner as accident.
FAA toxicology testing detected 11-hydroxy-THC in urine at 3.5 ng/mL but not in heart blood. Carboxy-delta-9-THC was detected in heart blood at 4.4 ng/dL and in urine at 22.6 ng/mL. Delta-9-THC, the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, was not detected.