On April 19, 2024, at approximately 1330 eastern daylight time, an unregistered experimental amateur-built Bailey-Moyes Dragonfly airplane sustained substantial damage in an accident at Sheets Airport (FA42) in Groveland, Florida. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Accident Sequence
According to witnesses, the airplane departed toward the south and climbed to an estimated altitude of 200 to 300 feet above ground level. It then turned east. Shortly after, witnesses observed the right wing "fold upward," after which the airplane entered a spiral descent. The aircraft impacted terrain approximately 500 feet east of the departure end of the north-south landing area.
Wreckage Examination
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examined the wreckage. The inspection revealed that the right lower wing strut block bolt had been threaded through the fuselage bulkhead and tightened, but did not pass through the hole in the wing strut block. As a result, there was no connection between the wing strut and the fuselage. The bolt and the wing strut block exhibited no damage.
Assembly and Documentation
The accident flight was the first flight of the airplane since it was assembled by the pilot. An inspection of the hangar where the assembly took place found no assembly checklist or assembly manual present in the work area. The airplane lacked a data plate and had not been inspected by a Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) or an FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) inspector. No airworthiness certificate or operating limitations had been issued for the aircraft.