Liberty XL-2 N516XL

Summary

On 10 June 2014 at about 00:36 local time, a Liberty XL-2 registered N516XL, operated by Spatial, Inc., was involved in an accident near Merritt Island, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 June 2014 at 00:36

Classification

Accident

Location

Merritt Island, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Merritt Island Airport (COI)

Coordinates

28.3681, -80.6875

Aircraft

Liberty XL-2

Registration

N516XL

Category

Airplane

Year built

2006

Engines

1

Operator

Spatial, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Merritt Island → Merritt Island

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ERA14FA282

2 people died.

The failure of the pilots to maintain airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the loss of engine power for a reason that could not be determined by the postaccident examination, which was limited due to impact damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to a friend of the airplane's owner, the purpose of the flight was for the owner to check out another pilot in the airplane. It could not be determined which pilot was flying the airplane at the time of the accident. Review of uncorrelated radar data indicated that the flight departed and maneuvered in the local area for about 26 minutes before the accident occurred. One witness stated that the airplane was about 200 ft above ground level when it entered a turn, and then its nose dropped and it descended to the ground. Two other witnesses reported seeing the airplane descending in a nose-down attitude. The witnesses provided conflicting information as to whether or not the airplane's engine was producing power. Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted in a steep descent. The witness observations and the impact geometry are consistent with the pilots failing to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, resulting in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall. The propeller blade signatures were consistent with the engine not producing power at impact. Engine parameter data downloaded from the full authority digital engine control's (FADEC) data recording device revealed normal rpm, cylinder head temperature, and fuel pressure readings from takeoff to the end of the recorded data, and no FADEC fault codes were recorded. However, the recorded data ended before the loss of control occurred. Postaccident examination of the engine powertrain, fuel distribution block, and fuel injectors revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Both of the engine's electronic control units sustained impact damage that precluded operational testing. Although the auxiliary fuel pump was determined to have been inoperative for a long period of time before the flight due to separation of one electrical wire near the pump, the engine-driven fuel pump was operational and capable of providing adequate fuel to the engine to sustain engine power. The investigation could not determine the reason the engine was not producing power at impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.