What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) According to a witness privacy data omitted , experimental aircraft N954PB, piloted by Mr. Scott bower, pilot certificate number 313502696, departed on October 5, 2002 at approximately 12:45PM on runway 32 at the Valkaria Florida airport (X59) on it's way to wilson, north carolina. privacy data omitted Also stated that pilot Mr. Bowers fueled the aircraft with approximately 20 gallons at a self-serve pump at the Valkaria Airport in the morning of the flight. privacy data omitted Also stated that the pilot (Mr. Bowers) was using a hand held GPS for navigation and placed it on the forward glare shield prior to departure. The takeoff appeared to be normal and the landing gear was retracted. The aircraft began a turn to the west (to avoid the kennedy space center). While on a westerly heading, the aircraft began a left turn toward the south and began descending. It continued turning back toward the airport on a northerly heading and was seen as approximately 400 feet above ground level. As it made it's way toward the airport, it appeared to be wallowing at a relatively slow speed and disappeared below the trees. The aircraft impacted the terrain approximately 800 feet sw of runway 9 and approximately 150 feet south of the runway 9 centerline of the Valkaria (X59) airport. (These measurements are according to the Valkaria Airport manager, Mr. James shimkus). At the scene, the aircraft was inverted with the nose of the aircraft heading in a north westerly direction. There was no smell of fuel, nor was there any indication of spillage or discoloration anywhere on the ground or fauna. The aircraft is a rear-mounted engine with a three bladed pusher propeller. There was only one propeller blade (composite) that was damaged and the other two were intact and in good condition. This is an indication that the engine was either idle speed or not running at the time of impact. There was no indication on the ground that the propeller was turning on impact. The blades also appeared to be in a high pitch angle. The front of the aircraft was totally destroyed on impact; the wings were still attached to the fuselage. The landing gear was in the retracted position, indicating that the pilot was not in a configuration to make a normal landing. Post impact investigation was conducted by FAA maintenance inspector j. scott strickland of the orlando FSDO (reference scotts report). Because the engine appeared to be in good working order and there were no visible signs of control damage, privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ACCORDING TO A WITNESS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ , EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT N954PB, PILOTED BY MR. SCOTT BOWER, PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 313502696, DEPARTED ON OCTOBER 5, 2002 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:45PM ON RUNWAY 32 AT THE VALKARIA FLORIDA AIRPORT (X59) ON IT'S WAY TO WILSON, NORTH CAROLINA. ^PRIVACY DAT^ ALSO STATED THAT PILOT MR. BOWERS FUELED THE AIRCRAFT WITH APPROXIMATELY 20 GALLONS AT A SELF-SERVE PUMP AT THE VALKARIA AIRPORT IN THE MORNING OF THE FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DAT^ ALSO STATED THAT THE PILOT (MR. BOWERS) WAS USING A HAND HELD GPS FOR NAVIGATION AND PLACED IT ON THE FORWARD GLARE SHIELD PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE TAKEOFF APPEARED TO BE NORMAL AND THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A TURN TO THE WEST (TO AVOID THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER). WHILE ON A WESTERLY HEADING, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A LEFT TURN TOWARD THE SOUTH AND BEGAN DESCENDING. IT CONTINUED TURNING BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AND WAS SEEN AS APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. AS IT MADE IT'S WAY TOWARD THE AIRPORT, IT APPEARED TO BE WALLOWING AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED AND DISAPPEARED BELOW THE TREES. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET SW OF RUNWAY 9 AND APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY 9 CENTERLINE OF THE VALKARIA (X59) AIRPORT. (THESE MEASUREMENTS ARE ACCORDING TO THE VALKARIA AIRPORT MANAGER, MR. JAMES SHIMKUS). AT THE SCENE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVERTED WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT HEADING IN A NORTH WESTERLY DIRECTION. THERE WAS NO SMELL OF FUEL, NOR WAS THERE ANY INDICATION OF SPILLAGE OR DISCOLORATION ANYWHERE ON THE GROUND OR FAUNA. THE AIRCRAFT IS A REAR-MOUNTED ENGINE WITH A THREE BLADED PUSHER PROPELLER. THERE WAS ONLY ONE PROPELLER BLADE (COMPOSITE) THAT WAS DAMAGED AND THE OTHER TWO WERE INTACT AND IN GOOD CONDITION. THIS IS AN INDICATION THAT THE ENGINE WAS EITHER IDLE SPEED OR NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION ON THE GROUND THAT THE PROPELLER WAS TURNING ON IMPACT. THE BLADES ALSO APPEARED TO BE IN A HIGH PITCH ANGLE. THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED ON IMPACT; THE WINGS WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE. THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE RETRACTED POSITION, INDICATING THAT THE PILOT WAS NOT IN A CONFIGURATION TO MAKE A NORMAL LANDING. POST IMPACT INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED BY FAA MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR J. SCOTT STRICKLAND OF THE ORLANDO FSDO (REFERENCE SCOTTS REPORT). BECAUSE THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND THERE WERE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF CONTROL DAMAGE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.