Accident Overview
On October 5, 2024, at approximately 1456 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Coughlin Fokker D-VIII Replica, registration N94100, was destroyed when it crashed near Old Rhinebeck Airport (NY94) in Rhinebeck, New York. The commercial pilot, operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, was fatally injured. The flight was intended as a single-ship demonstration for an airshow at NY94, with a planned duration of 10 minutes from engine start to shutdown.
Witness Accounts and Video Evidence
The flight was witnessed by multiple individuals, and video captured the sequence from takeoff until just before impact. According to two witnesses associated with the airshow, including the Director of Maintenance for the Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum (who also served as the air boss and had extensive experience with the same Gnome 9N engine), the airplane departed NY94 about 1453. It took off northward, then turned right and passed the airshow line flying south. During this pass, the air boss heard noticeable engine roughness that was not present moments before.
The airplane continued past the runway and initiated a 270° left turn. About 1 minute and 5 seconds into the routine, the air boss informed the announcer and ground crew that he believed the engine was running rough and to prepare for a possible precautionary landing. After completing the 270° turn and approaching the airport, the pilot began a right 90° turn. At the start of this turn, around 1 minute 24 seconds, the air boss noted that the engine sound at full power was poor enough that he expected the pilot to enter the traffic pattern for landing.
The pilot then flew north along the show line, executed a 180° right turn to head south, and continued along the show line. At approximately the end of the 180° turn, the air boss reported that the engine was clearly not firing on all cylinders, though it was operating at full power.
Engine Failure and Fire
About 2 minutes and 16 seconds into the routine, when the airplane was near the end of the downwind leg, the air boss reported a total loss of engine power, and the airplane began descending. At around 2 minutes and 17 seconds, a prominent fire was observed in the front of the airplane. The fire intensified as the airplane descended, eventually obscuring much of the fuselage. The video also showed parts separating from the aircraft. The airplane then pitched downward, descended steeply, and disappeared behind trees before impacting in a wooded area. Airport personnel responded and attempted to extinguish the fire.
Postaccident Examination
Preliminary examination of the Gnome 9N engine revealed that the cylinders for positions Nos. 6 and 7 had separated. These cylinders were recovered. The engine crankcase exhibited a wide crack between the threaded mounting bosses of the separated cylinders. The wreckage was retained for further examination.