On May 25, 2024, an amateur-built Cessna Glasair 1 RG, registration N446KW, was involved in a fatal accident near Panacea, Florida. The aircraft was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use.
What happened
At approximately 2101, the pilot departed runway 14 at Destin Executive Airport (DTS) for a return flight to Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH). The pilot was receiving flight following services from Air Traffic Control (ATC) during the flight. After climbing to an altitude of approximately 6,500 feet, the aircraft's ground speed and altitude began to fluctuate at 2149. Flight track data indicated the airplane made an abrupt 9/degree right turn, followed by a left turn, reaching a peak altitude of approximately 7,300 feet. The aircraft then entered a counterclockwise spiraling descent.
At 2154, the pilot transmitted a distress call to ATC, stating, "I'm going down in Apalachee Bay," shortly before radar contact was lost. The aircraft struck the water approximately 200 feet above the surface of Apalachee Bay.
The wreckage was located the following morning by the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in 13 to 15 feet of water, about 7 miles east of Bald Point State Park. The aircraft was found in a nose and left wing down position on a sand shoal. Subsequent recovery efforts by Sea Tow Big Bend and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office recovered various sections of the wreckage, including the nose, wings, and parts of the fuselage, which had drifted from the initial site.
The investigation
An examination of the recovered wreckage by the NTSB revealed significant structural separation. The aft fuselage had separated from the rest of the structure just behind the instrument panel. Both wings and the carry-through structure had separated from the fuselage. The windshield and both gull wing doors were missing.
Mechanical inspections of the engine and propeller showed that one blade of the two-bladed Prince P Tip Composite propeller had separated upon impact. The engine remained attached to the firewall and engine mount. While the engine and magnetos showed heavy saltwater corrosion and internal water, there was no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction. The fuel pump and carburetor were intact, and the fuel inlet screen was clear of debris.
Flight controls, including the rudder, elevators, and ailerons, were found to be continuous from the cockpit to the breaks in the system. The landing gear was in the retracted position, and the flaps were set to 0 degrees. The airspeed indicator was frozen at approximately 190 knots, and the vertical speed indicator showed a descent rate of 600 feet per minute.