Bowers FLYBABY N107KW

Summary

On 19 October 2018 at about 15:00 local time, a Bowers FLYBABY registered N107KW was involved in an accident near Milton, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 October 2018 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Milton, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Yellow River Airstrip (FD93)

Coordinates

30.7086, -86.7711

Aircraft

Bowers FLYBABY

Registration

N107KW

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

Harold → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19FA020

1 person died.

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined, and the pilot's subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was flying the experimental, amateur-built airplane to a nearby airport to conduct touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. Witnesses near the accident site heard the airplane's engine power increasing and decreasing. One witness stated that, about 100 ft above ground level, the airplane's wings started to rock back and forth, then the airplane entered a roll to the left, followed by a steep uncontrolled descent until it impacted with trees and terrain. Postaccident examination of the airplane, engine, and fuel system revealed no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation; however, witness reports of repeated fluctuations in power settings, combined with a lack of rotational damage to the propeller, suggest that the engine may have experienced a loss of power. Although conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power settings, the airplane was likely en route and operating at a higher power setting when the engine began to experience a loss of power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence. The accident site was located in an area of numerous fields that would have allowed for a forced landing; whether the pilot was attempting to maneuver to one of these fields could not be determined. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall/spin at low altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.