What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This aircraft was purchased disassembled. It was transported to Williamsburg county airport (cki) in Kingstree, SC by the pilot. A local A&P mechanic who holds an inspection authorization, assembled the aircraft performed a condition inspection and weighed the aircraft and completed a new weight and balance. This work was returned to service on may 8, 2012.on may 12, 2012 an about 10:40 am (EST) the pilot departed runway 14 at cki with the intention of completing some touch and go landings to get use to the aircraft. This was the pilots first flight in this aircraft. On the first final approach to runway 14 the pilot stated that the aircraft started to feel mushy and that the right wing started to drop and that his airspeed was about 80 miles per hour (mph) at this time. The pilot stated that he was operating the aircraft about 20 mph higher than stall speed for safety. He then stated that he corrected for this and added power and then the left wing dropped and that his air speed was 75-80 mph and his altitude was about 60 feet. At this pointaltitude was to low to recover and that he leveled the aircraft just before impact with the terrain. The aircraft impacted the terrain first for about ten feet then a second impact about 10 feet further with ground scaring for about 70 feet then no marks on the ground for about 30 feet to where the aircraft came to a rest. The nose of the aircraft broke off the airframe at just forward of the forward spar and came to rest on a heading of about 110 degrees. The left wing broke off next to the fuselage and was on the right side of the wreckage. The right wing was attached to the center section of the floor of the cabin with the two seats still attached to the floor. Also the pilots three point harness was still latched and the pilots seat back was broken off at its hinge points. This part of the aircraft came to a rest on a heading of about 290 degrees or the complete opposite direction of the aircraft nose section. The tail section broke off the airframe just behind the rear spar and came to rest up side down, on about the same heading as the nose section. Bothe main gear was broken off the wings. Control surface continuity could not be confirmed due to all connections of the flight controls were broken, however all brakes were new. The propeller blades were broken off at the propeller hub. All of the aircraft wreckage was within about a 35 foot diameter.
As the FAA filed it
THIS AIRCRAFT WAS PURCHASED DISASSEMBLED. IT WAS TRANSPORTED TO WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY AIRPORT (CKI) IN KINGSTREE, SC BY THE PILOT. A LOCAL A&P MECHANIC WHO HOLDS AN INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION, ASSEMBLED THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED A CONDITION INSPECTION AND WEIGHED THE AIRCRAFT AND COMPLETED A NEW WEIGHT AND BALANCE. THIS WORK WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE ON MAY 8, 2012.ON MAY 12, 2012 AN ABOUT 10:40 AM (EST) THE PILOT DEPARTED RUNWAY 14 AT CKI WITH THE INTENTION OF COMPLETING SOME TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS TO GET USE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THIS WAS THE PILOTS FIRST FLIGHT IN THIS AIRCRAFT. ON THE FIRST FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 14 THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO FEEL MUSHY AND THAT THE RIGHT WING STARTED TO DROP AND THAT HIS AIRSPEED WAS ABOUT 80 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) AT THIS TIME. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 20 MPH HIGHER THAN STALL SPEED FOR SAFETY. HE THEN STATED THAT HE CORRECTED FOR THIS AND ADDED POWER AND THEN THE LEFT WING DROPPED AND THAT HIS AIR SPEED WAS 75-80 MPH AND HIS ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 60 FEET. AT THIS POINTALTITUDE WAS TO LOW TO RECOVER AND THAT HE LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT JUST BEFORE IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN.THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN FIRST FOR ABOUT TEN FEET THEN A SECOND IMPACT ABOUT 10 FEET FURTHER WITH GROUND SCARING FOR ABOUT 70 FEET THEN NO MARKS ON THE GROUND FOR ABOUT 30 FEET TO WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT BROKE OFF THE AIRFRAME AT JUST FORWARD OF THE FORWARD SPAR AND CAME TO REST ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 110 DEGREES. THE LEFT WING BROKE OFF NEXT TO THE FUSELAGE AND WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WRECKAGE. THE RIGHT WING WAS ATTACHED TO THE CENTER SECTION OF THE FLOOR OF THE CABIN WITH THE TWO SEATS STILL ATTACHED TO THE FLOOR. ALSO THE PILOTS THREE POINT HARNESS WAS STILL LATCHED AND THE PILOTS SEAT BACK WAS BROKEN OFF AT ITS HINGE POINTS. THIS PART OF THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 290 DEGREES OR THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT NOSE SECTION. THE TAIL SECTION BROKE OFF THE AIRFRAME JUST BEHIND THE REAR SPAR AND CAME TO REST UP SIDE DOWN, ON ABOUT THE SAME HEADING AS THE NOSE SECTION. BOTHE MAIN GEAR WAS BROKEN OFF THE WINGS. CONTROL SURFACE CONTINUITY COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED DUE TO ALL CONNECTIONS OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE BROKEN, HOWEVER ALL BRAKES WERE NEW. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BROKEN OFF AT THE PROPELLER HUB. ALL OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS WITHIN ABOUT A 35 FOOT DIAMETER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.