19980117000389A

On January 17, 1998, at 1715 eastern standard time, a via inc., aero comp AC6, N656AC, collided with trees and burst into flames while manuevering near Rockledge, Florida. The personal flight operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. A review of weather date recovered from the nearest reporting facility disclosed that visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed, and there was a post impact fire. The airline transport rated pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed merritt island, Florida, at 1610 EST. According to one of the previous partners of the airplane, the pilot was perparing the airplane for a flight to south america when the accident occurred. The airplane had been flown several times earlier in the day with no apparent problem. The partner stated that the airplane had about 70 gallons of fuel on board when they departed. About forty five minutes into the flight, several witnesses reported hearing and seeing the airplane before the accident. Witness accounts of the airplane ranged from hearing the engine sputtering to no interruption in engine power. Witnesses reported that the airplane collided with a tree and burst into flames. An examination of the accident site disclosed that wreckage debris was scattered over an area 55 feet wide and 80 feet long. The aircraft impacted the ground in a 60 to 70 degree nose low attitude. Further examination of the accident site disclosed that airplane collided with a tree along the wreckage path prior to the airplanes collision with the ground. The engine was seperated from the airframe and was located beyond the airplanes impact point with the ground. The airplane flight control cables and surfaces were located in the immediate vicnity of the airplane wreckage. The wreckage examination also disclosed that the entire airframe was fire damaged and the composite material, of which the airplane was constructed, was melted. Examination of the engine assembly also failed to disclose any pre-existing mechanical problems that would have prevented normal operation. According to a co-owner of the airplane, he believed that the pilot and the son of the designer/owner of the airplane were checking the accuracy of the fuel quantity system when the accident occurred. He also stated that N656AC, was originally built with an extended range fuel system. The extended range fuel tank was simply accomplished by moving the fuel tank bulkhead further outboard from the wing root. The wet wing fuel system employed a simple left/right and off fuel selector system. (-23) on January 17, 1998, at 1730 eastern standard time, a via inc., aero comp AC6, N656C, collided with trees and burst into flames while maneuvering near Rockledge, Florida. The personal flight operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditons prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed, and there was a post-impact fire. The air transport pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed merritt island, Florida at 1610 EST.