What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the morning of July 4, 2014, the day of the accident, pilot and passneger flew N4263 from their home base of aero estates (T25) to attend a fly-in event at wisener field (3F9) near mineola, TX.
At approximately 13:15 CDT. N4263 departed 3F9, to aero estates (T25), the weather conditions were VFR for the duration of the flight and the aircraft was operating normally according to the pilot.
The pilot stated that he had allowed his passenger, who is not a certificated pilot, to operate the controls of the aircraft, for a short period of time, during the enroute phase of the flight. He stated as they neared aero estates he took control of the aircraft and told the passenger that he would like to show him the area surrounding the lake from the air.
The pilot said he initiated a hard right hand turn toward the lake when the left wing stalled and the aircraft began to roll to the left. He then realized that his airspeed was too low. He stated he attempted to regain control and the aircraft momentarily leveled then his right wing stalled and the aircraft began to spin to the right. He stated that he was too low to recover from the spin and the aircraft impacted the water at a nose low pitch attitude and a speed of approximately 120 mph.
As they impacted the water, the pilot stated the canopy separated from the aircraft and water immediately rushed into the cockpit area. He stated that he and the passenger extricated themselves from the aircraft and nearby boaters rescued them from the water. He stated the aircraft sank immediately. The pilot indicated that his passenger received minor injuries and has been released from the hospital. The pilot sustained a major injury, compound fracture, to his right leg and will require multiple surgeries to repair his injury.
As the FAA filed it
ON THE MORNING OF JULY 4, 2014, THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, PILOT AND PASSNEGER FLEW N4263 FROM THEIR HOME BASE OF AERO ESTATES (T25) TO ATTEND A FLY-IN EVENT AT WISENER FIELD (3F9) NEAR MINEOLA, TX.
AT APPROXIMATELY 13:15 CDT. N4263 DEPARTED 3F9, TO AERO ESTATES (T25), THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE VFR FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING NORMALLY ACCORDING TO THE PILOT.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD ALLOWED HIS PASSENGER, WHO IS NOT A CERTIFICATED PILOT, TO OPERATE THE CONTROLS OF THE AIRCRAFT, FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, DURING THE ENROUTE PHASE OF THE FLIGHT. HE STATED AS THEY NEARED AERO ESTATES HE TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND TOLD THE PASSENGER THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SHOW HIM THE AREA SURROUNDING THE LAKE FROM THE AIR.
THE PILOT SAID HE INITIATED A HARD RIGHT HAND TURN TOWARD THE LAKE WHEN THE LEFT WING STALLED AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ROLL TO THE LEFT. HE THEN REALIZED THAT HIS AIRSPEED WAS TOO LOW. HE STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN CONTROL AND THE AIRCRAFT MOMENTARILY LEVELED THEN HIS RIGHT WING STALLED AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SPIN TO THE RIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE WAS TOO LOW TO RECOVER FROM THE SPIN AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WATER AT A NOSE LOW PITCH ATTITUDE AND A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 120 MPH.
AS THEY IMPACTED THE WATER, THE PILOT STATED THE CANOPY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WATER IMMEDIATELY RUSHED INTO THE COCKPIT AREA. HE STATED THAT HE AND THE PASSENGER EXTRICATED THEMSELVES FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND NEARBY BOATERS RESCUED THEM FROM THE WATER. HE STATED THE AIRCRAFT SANK IMMEDIATELY. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL. THE PILOT SUSTAINED A MAJOR INJURY, COMPOUND FRACTURE, TO HIS RIGHT LEG AND WILL REQUIRE MULTIPLE SURGERIES TO REPAIR HIS INJURY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.