Colyaer Sl FREEDOM N787Z

Summary

On 2 March 2015 at about 17:52 local time, a Colyaer Sl FREEDOM registered N787Z was involved in an accident near Boynton Beach, 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

2 March 2015 at 17:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Boynton Beach, Florida, United States

Coordinates

26.5203, -80.2222

Aircraft

Colyaer Sl FREEDOM

Registration

N787Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Palm Beach → Okeechobee

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15FA141

2 people died.

An in-flight loss of control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot departed in his light sport aircraft with a friend, who held a student pilot certificate, on a cross-country flight to another airport for lunch. GPS data showed the airplane maneuvered near the accident site for about 30 minutes, performing multiple climbs, descents, and turns. Several witnesses reported hearing the engine "sputter," which was immediately followed by an advance in engine power. Although the airplane's final movements were not captured by witness reports or radar/GPS data, examination of the accident site showed that the airplane was in a steep descent when it impacted a swamp. The impact geometry was consistent with an in-flight loss of control and subsequent uncontrolled descent to ground impact. A postcrash fire ensued, which consumed most of the airplane. Postaccident examination of the airplane and the engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Although the environmental conditions were favorable for light icing at glide or cruise power, witnesses reported that the engine regained power after "sputtering"; such a gain in power is not consistent with a carburetor ice condition. The cause of the "sputtering" reported by the witnesses could not be determined because the extensive fire damage precluded testing of the engine-driven fuel pump, carburetors, and ignition system components. The pilot reported a vibration in the control stick to the airplane manufacturer in the days leading up to the accident. The manufacturer responded to the pilot on the morning of the accident and stated that the vibration could be the result of an inadequately balanced engine or propeller. However, the propeller's effect on the airplane's performance could not be determined because two of the blades were not recovered from the accident site and the acetal pitch change slide block within the propeller hub was consumed by postcrash fire. Although sedating medications were found in toxicological specimens from both occupants, and the pilot's autopsy found evidence of severe coronary artery disease, the investigation could not determine if these physiological conditions contributed to the accident.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.