Accident Overview
On September 27, 2025, at 1418 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Glasair Super II FT, registration N45BT, was destroyed in an accident near Wallkill, New York. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight History
ADS-B data showed the airplane departed Sky Manor Airport (N40) in Pittstown, New Jersey, about 1040, and repositioned to Kobelt Airport (N45) in Wallkill, New York, about 1127. Family members reported the pilot joined seven other pilots for lunch at N45. After the group gathering, the accident airplane was the last to depart; the other seven departed at 1–2-minute intervals ahead of it.
Accident Sequence
A witness near the accident site reported that during the initial climb immediately after takeoff from runway 3, the airplane pitched nose-up and entered approximately a 45° left climbing turn. The left wing struck a windsock pole constructed from a telephone pole located near the runway. The airplane then impacted the ground, and a postimpact fire ensued. The witness stated the engine sound was smooth and consistent with power until impact.
The airplane came to rest inverted on a magnetic heading of 55° about 166 feet west of the runway in a relatively flat grassy area at an elevation of about 410 feet mean sea level. The first identified point of impact was the fallen windsock pole about 1,100 feet from the runway threshold and about 78 feet west of the runway centerline. The wooden pole was about 18 feet long with a diameter of about 9 inches; an impact mark containing composite material was observed about 4 feet from the top. The left aileron and wingtip were located near that point. A second impact point consistent with a propeller strike was about 190 feet from the initial point. The wreckage path was about 250 feet long on a magnetic heading of about 355°. All major components were at the site.
Wreckage Examination
The airframe was mostly consumed by the postimpact fire. The instrument panel was destroyed; no functional instrumentation or gauges remained. The throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were in the forward positions, with control cables impact-separated from the engine. Both wings, flaps, and the right aileron were mostly consumed by fire. The flaps were found in the up position. The left aileron and wingtip were impact-separated, while the right aileron remained attached with continuous control tubes. The elevator and rudder remained attached and exhibited thermal damage. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to surfaces through impact and thermal separations.
Fuel system examination revealed that the left and right wing fuel caps remained attached; both fuel tanks were breached due to impact and thermal damage. The fuel selector valve was in the main position, with continuity to both tanks. The electric fuel boost pump and most fuselage-mounted fuel lines were destroyed. The gascolator exhibited impact and thermal damage, but its bowl and screen were free of debris.
Engine Examination
The engine remained attached to the engine mount and a separated section of the firewall. Thermal damage was present on the accessory section. The engine had a dual electronic ignition system. Spark plug electrodes were undamaged and exhibited normal coloration and wear per Champion spark plug chart. Ignition coils and control modules were destroyed. Oil was found in the sump; the oil pump suction screen was clear.
Crankshaft continuity to the rear gears and valvetrain continuity was established upon rotation. Compression and suction were attained on all four cylinders, with no anomalies noted via borescope examination. The exhaust system had impact damage but no obstructions in the heat muff. Fuel injectors and lines were clear. The fuel servo and engine-driven fuel pump remained attached; their internal diaphragms exhibited thermal damage. The throttle plate of the fuel servo was open, and the mixture was in the rich position. Throttle and mixture control cables were thermally separated. The fuel inlet screen was clear.
The two-bladed aluminum controllable pitch propeller was impact-separated. One blade was deformed about 90° over the cambered side, with leading-edge gouges and chordwise abrasions on the outboard area. The other blade showed no visible deformation or leading-edge damage. The composite propeller spinner was fragmented. The wreckage was recovered for further examination.