What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Synopsis: N94370, a Solo Wings "Windlass Aquilla" experimental weight-shift control (wsc) light sport aircraft, impacted terrain on pilot's property near Starke, FL. Pilot sustained fatal injuries and aircraft was destroyed. Available evidence indicates accident occurred on Saturday 23 apr 2011 at approximately 10:00 am EDT. Insular nature of private airfield delayed discovery for nearly 36 hours. There were no eyewitnesses. Mission: pilot's stated mission was taxi testing; no intent for flight was expressed. Moreover, safety pin for ballistic parachute was found installed, not removed as would be appropriate for purposeful flight. Evidence: aircraft was discovered approx 120 yards from the runway centerline. There are no tire tracks leading from the runway to the impact area. Winds recorded as sse at 7 kt. Runway orientation wnw - ese. Trees along major portion of south side of runway are capable of blocking southerly winds along first half of the ese runway. Impact area is north of runway. Medical examiner reports multiple blunt force trauma injuries, but cause of death was torn aorta. Toxicology results pending; not expected to yield adverse results. Examination of impact area shows high angle and low speed trajectory. The airframe is distorted, but all components still connected; debris field highly confined at edge of field. Aircraft damage confined to left side and nose, indicating steep descending left turn at impact. Wing control mechanism remained connected; symmetrical rigging observed. Wing attachment location observed to be within limits established by mfr for CG. Engine controls set for low power. Propeller nearly intact. Fuel present and filter appeared immersed and uncontaminated. Fuel-spray evidenced on adjacent vegetation. Crankshaft continuity verified through the case. Distributor cap shattered on impact; ignition cables accounted for. Engine run-up not performed. Early GPS installed; unit not capable of storing position history. Ballistic safety pin installed. Chute removed and charge destroyed by eod personnel. Aircraft's last condition inspection was on 27 dec 2010, performed by the previous owner. The aircraft was returned to service at that time. Mishap pilot had recently acquired this aircraft, his first weight shift control (wsc) aircraft, and his third overall aircraft. Pilot was described by his wife as very conscientious about logging activity. No activity was logged for N94370, the mishap aircraft. Pilot had received instruction in a different model of wsc aircraft, a "revo" at kzph. He had a total of 5.7 hours on the revo; his last wsc flight was two weeks prior to the mishap. Pilot's last logged flight before the mishap was 13 apr, approximately 10 days prior, in his LSA airplane, a "fergie-2". Interview pending with wsc CFI at kzph. Interview pending with previous owner of N94370.
As the FAA filed it
SYNOPSIS: N94370, A SOLO WINGS "WINDLASS AQUILLA" EXPERIMENTAL WEIGHT-SHIFT CONTROL (WSC) LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT, IMPACTED TERRAIN ON PILOT'S PROPERTY NEAR STARKE, FL. PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AND AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. AVAILABLE EVIDENCE INDICATES ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON SATURDAY 23 APR 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00 AM EDT. INSULAR NATURE OF PRIVATE AIRFIELD DELAYED DISCOVERY FOR NEARLY 36 HOURS. THERE WERE NO EYEWITNESSES.MISSION: PILOT'S STATED MISSION WAS TAXI TESTING; NO INTENT FOR FLIGHT WAS EXPRESSED. MOREOVER, SAFETY PIN FOR BALLISTIC PARACHUTE WAS FOUND INSTALLED, NOT REMOVED AS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR PURPOSEFUL FLIGHT. EVIDENCE: AIRCRAFT WAS DISCOVERED APPROX 120 YARDS FROM THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THERE ARE NO TIRE TRACKS LEADING FROM THE RUNWAY TO THE IMPACT AREA. WINDS RECORDED AS SSE AT 7 KT. RUNWAY ORIENTATION WNW - ESE. TREES ALONG MAJOR PORTION OF SOUTH SIDE OF RUNWAY ARE CAPABLE OF BLOCKING SOUTHERLY WINDS ALONG FIRST HALF OF THE ESE RUNWAY. IMPACT AREA IS NORTH OF RUNWAY.MEDICAL EXAMINER REPORTS MULTIPLE BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA INJURIES, BUT CAUSE OF DEATH WAS TORN AORTA. TOXICOLOGY RESULTS PENDING; NOT EXPECTED TO YIELD ADVERSE RESULTS.EXAMINATION OF IMPACT AREA SHOWS HIGH ANGLE AND LOW SPEED TRAJECTORY. THE AIRFRAME IS DISTORTED, BUT ALL COMPONENTS STILL CONNECTED; DEBRIS FIELD HIGHLY CONFINED AT EDGE OF FIELD. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE CONFINED TO LEFT SIDE AND NOSE, INDICATING STEEP DESCENDING LEFT TURN AT IMPACT. WING CONTROL MECHANISM REMAINED CONNECTED; SYMMETRICAL RIGGING OBSERVED. WING ATTACHMENT LOCATION OBSERVED TO BE WITHIN LIMITS ESTABLISHED BY MFR FOR CG. ENGINE CONTROLS SET FOR LOW POWER. PROPELLER NEARLY INTACT. FUEL PRESENT AND FILTER APPEARED IMMERSED AND UNCONTAMINATED. FUEL-SPRAY EVIDENCED ON ADJACENT VEGETATION. CRANKSHAFT CONTINUITY VERIFIED THROUGH THE CASE. DISTRIBUTOR CAP SHATTERED ON IMPACT; IGNITION CABLES ACCOUNTED FOR. ENGINE RUN-UP NOT PERFORMED. EARLY GPS INSTALLED; UNIT NOT CAPABLE OF STORING POSITION HISTORY. BALLISTIC SAFETY PIN INSTALLED. CHUTE REMOVED AND CHARGE DESTROYED BY EOD PERSONNEL.AIRCRAFT'S LAST CONDITION INSPECTION WAS ON 27 DEC 2010, PERFORMED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE AT THAT TIME.MISHAP PILOT HAD RECENTLY ACQUIRED THIS AIRCRAFT, HIS FIRST WEIGHT SHIFT CONTROL (WSC) AIRCRAFT, AND HIS THIRD OVERALL AIRCRAFT. PILOT WAS DESCRIBED BY HIS WIFE AS VERY CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT LOGGING ACTIVITY. NO ACTIVITY WAS LOGGED FOR N94370, THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT. PILOT HAD RECEIVED INSTRUCTION IN A DIFFERENT MODEL OF WSC AIRCRAFT, A "REVO" AT KZPH. HE HAD A TOTAL OF 5.7 HOURS ON THE REVO; HIS LAST WSC FLIGHT WAS TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE MISHAP. PILOT'S LAST LOGGED FLIGHT BEFORE THE MISHAP WAS 13 APR, APPROXIMATELY 10 DAYS PRIOR, IN HIS LSA AIRPLANE, A "FERGIE-2". INTERVIEW PENDING WITH WSC CFI AT KZPH. INTERVIEW PENDING WITH PREVIOUS OWNER OF N94370.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.