Boeve Earl SEAWIND N46EB

Summary

On 4 July 2016 at about 17:28 local time, a Boeve Earl SEAWIND registered N46EB was involved in an accident near Buena Vista, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 July 2016 at 17:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Buena Vista, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

38.8625, -106.1569

Aircraft

Boeve Earl SEAWIND

Registration

N46EB

Category

Airplane

Year built

2006

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Leadville → Buena Vista

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16FA241

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a forced landing following a partial loss of engine power, which resulted in a hard landing and nose over. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined due to the severity of the postimpact fire damage.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was making a personal flight in the experimental amateur-built airplane. A witness at the destination airport reported hearing the pilot declare a "mayday" on the airport's common traffic advisory frequency, but the pilot did not state the nature of the emergency. Witnesses near the accident site reported hearing the airplane's engine running extremely rough and seeing the airplane's wings rocking back and forth. The accident site was in an open, flat field with sparse vegetation and ample area in which to make a forced landing. Examination of the wreckage indicated that the airplane impacted the ground and nosed over, and a fire then erupted which consumed most of the airplane. Fire damage precluded a complete examination of the airframe, engine, and systems; however, the examinations that were performed did not reveal any preimpact anomalies. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the airplane's engine lost partial power for a reason that could not be determined due to the extent of the fire damage, and the pilot did not maintain control of the airplane during the ensuing forced landing.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.