Accident Overview
On May 16, 2025, at approximately 1642 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Chinook Plus 2, registration N3300K, was destroyed in an accident near Pittstown, New Jersey. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Pre-Accident Events
A witness at the airport, a friend of the pilot, observed the events. The witness stated that the pilot had been training in a Piper J3 but had no flight experience in the accident airplane. The takeoff was the pilot's first flight in that aircraft. Before the accident takeoff, the pilot performed either a takeoff attempt or a high-speed taxi on runway 26. During that run, the pilot lost control and the airplane ground looped on grass off the left side of the runway; no damage occurred. The pilot then taxied back to the runway start and initiated the accident takeoff.
Takeoff and Accident Sequence
During the takeoff, the airplane traveled on the ground about halfway down the 2,550-foot-long asphalt runway, a distance described as much more than required for liftoff. The airplane drifted left, struck and severed a runway light with its left wing strut. The pilot continued the takeoff, climbed, and performed two orbits around the airport before descending vertically to the accident site.
Wreckage and Examination
The wreckage came to rest inverted in a wooded area about one-half mile north of the airport, oriented on a magnetic heading of 135°. A postcrash fire consumed most of the wreckage. All four corners of the airplane were identified, with no debris path observed. One treetop near the wreckage was severed. The empennage remained partially intact and crushed; the rudder and elevator remained attached. Flight control continuity for the elevator and rudder was confirmed from the control surfaces to the cockpit area, which had been consumed by fire. Cable breaks exhibited broomstraw features. The left wing was consumed by fire, with its frame resting against a tree. The right wing remained intact and inverted. Both ailerons were attached to their respective wings; aileron control cables had been pulled from both wings and were not identified.
Aircraft and Engine Details
Review of the airframe and engine logbook revealed that the pilot completed assembly of the airplane from a kit in 2025, and it was issued an experimental airworthiness certificate on April 29, 2025. The airplane was equipped with a Rotax 912, 80-hp engine, driving a GCS Systems three-blade wooden propeller. As of a December 12, 2024, engine logbook entry, the engine had accrued 11.5 hours since new, consistent with ground runs.
Engine and Propeller Condition
The engine came to rest inverted and remained intact. All three propeller blades remained attached to the hub; two blades were undamaged, and one was partially separated and remained buried in the ground. The crankshaft was not seized and could be rotated 45° in each direction, with restriction due to the propeller blade buried in the ground.
Pilot Experience
Review of the private pilot's logbook indicated that he had accrued 443 total hours of flight experience, with his last flight on May 11, 2025, in a Piper J3. There was no record of any flight experience in the make and model accident airplane.
Investigation
The wreckage was retained for further examination.