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20150302002799A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Colyaer SL FREEDOM · Boynton Beach, FL · March 2, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 2, 2015 · 12:52 local
Place
Boynton Beach, FL
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N787Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA15FA141
Reported as
Colyaer SL Freedom
Reported engine
ROTAX 912ULS
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
19,400 total146 in this make and model
N787ZRegistration cancelled Mar 29, 2018 · Colyaer SL FREEDOMS/N 130-001-027 · Built 2008Airframe modelColyaer SL FREEDOMEngine modelRotax 912ULS series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The accident involving N787Z occurred in the arthur r. loxahatchee national wildlife refuge. N787Z departed the palm Beach county park airpark (klna) approximately thirty-four minutes prior. Based on a google map radar track downloaded from exelis, the aircraft flew from lna to the refuge and had been maneuvering repetitively prior to the accident. The aircraft came to rest in a marshy area in tall grass and brush with approximately two feet of water depth. Adjacent to the accident site is a canal with an earth embankment that has a dirt access road on top. There was no indication that the aircraft was attempting to land on the road or the canal. The aircraft was found in an upright position with the landing gear retracted. An immediate post-crash fire consumed the aircraft?s upper fuselage and center section. There was no debris field and no indications in the surrounding vegetation suggesting that the aircraft slid to a stop. There were no indications in the vegetation of a flat spin. Two witnesses while fishing reported seeing the aircraft fly overhead several times then heard the engine ?sputter followed by high revving just before a loud crash?. The owner/pilot was a high time air carrier pilot for a major airline and is believed to be current for this flight.

As the FAA filed it

THE ACCIDENT INVOLVING N787Z OCCURRED IN THE ARTHUR R. LOXAHATCHEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. N787Z DEPARTED THE PALM BEACH COUNTY PARK AIRPARK (KLNA) APPROXIMATELY THIRTY-FOUR MINUTES PRIOR. BASED ON A GOOGLE MAP RADAR TRACK DOWNLOADED FROM EXELIS, THE AIRCRAFT FLEW FROM LNA TO THE REFUGE AND HAD BEEN MANEUVERING REPETITIVELY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A MARSHY AREA IN TALL GRASS AND BRUSH WITH APPROXIMATELY TWO FEET OF WATER DEPTH. ADJACENT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE IS A CANAL WITH AN EARTH EMBANKMENT THAT HAS A DIRT ACCESS ROAD ON TOP. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON THE ROAD OR THE CANAL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. AN IMMEDIATE POST-CRASH FIRE CONSUMED THE AIRCRAFT?S UPPER FUSELAGE AND CENTER SECTION. THERE WAS NO DEBRIS FIELD AND NO INDICATIONS IN THE SURROUNDING VEGETATION SUGGESTING THAT THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS IN THE VEGETATION OF A FLAT SPIN. TWO WITNESSES WHILE FISHING REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT FLY OVERHEAD SEVERAL TIMES THEN HEARD THE ENGINE ?SPUTTER FOLLOWED BY HIGH REVVING JUST BEFORE A LOUD CRASH?. THE OWNER/PILOT WAS A HIGH TIME AIR CARRIER PILOT FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE AND IS BELIEVED TO BE CURRENT FOR THIS FLIGHT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA15FA141Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportBoynton Beach, FLAn in-flight loss of control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.Mar 2, 2015 · Destroyed

Other reports on N787Z · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20130411004839ILanding: Touchdown · Lakeland, FLDuring landing, the r/h main landing gearcollapsed due to the crosswind on the grass runway. The small aluminum support-strut broke in half. There was no damage to the aircraft other then the broken "support strut" and no injuries to pilot or passenger.Apr 11, 2013 · Minor damageIncident 20090612047229ILanding: Touchdown · Boca Raton, FLAfter landing gear extension, there was no nose gear down indication. Pilot made a low approach down the runway, ATC tower (bct) advised him that the landing gear appeared normal. After touchdown on runway 5, the airplane veered to the left then exited the…Jun 12, 2009 · Minor damage