What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 8/15/2015 at 1000 EDT N63TV, a Cessna 206H owned by stalactite LLC located in demarest NJ, was involved in major accident after takeoff from kcdw on a positioning flight to pick up a student pilot from kteb. VMC weather prevailed. A flight plan was not filed. The aircraft was completely destroyed and mostly consumed by a post crash fire; the pilot suffered fatal injuries. The pilot held a CFI and commercial certificates.
The iic arrived at the crash site on 8/15/2015 at 1145 EST and began photographing the scene and interviewing witnesses. The NTSB also arrived at the scene on 8/15/2015 at 2000 EDT.
According to a witness statement from a CFI in the same make/type of aircraft stated; ...it was apparent that there was engine trouble even before the aircraft rotated for takeoff and it appeared to struggle in the climb to get above the trees.
After reviewing video supplied by the kcdw airport it appears that N63TV proceeded to take off, climb and then make a left turn shortly thereafter impacted the ground at a high angle, high speed followed by a black cloud of smoke.
The official cause of the single fatality is unknown as the medical examiner's report is not available at this time, although, it is assumed to be blunt force trauma and/or burning. The aircraft was destroyed by crash impact forces and post crash fire. The tail section, left and right wings, and engine where identifiable and were removed and loaded on a flatbed truck for relocation to a NTSB storage hangar.
No personal flight records were located for the pilot at this time. Any aeronautical experience and certificate information was obtained from the FAA database.
The aircraft a Cessna 206H, serial number T220608925 was manufactured on 4/2009 and had accumulated a total time in service of 1199.2 hours. Examination of the maintenance records revealed that the most recent annual inspection was completed on 4/24/2015, 1155.2 tt. 44 hours prior to the accident.
A Lycoming TIO-540-AJ1A engine serial number L-13251-61E was installed in the airframe on 4/2009 and had accrued a total time in service of 1199.2 hours. Annual inspection was accomplished on the dates specified above for the airframe.
If and when additinal information becomes available this report will be amended as necessary.
As the FAA filed it
ON 8/15/2015 AT 1000 EDT N63TV, A CESSNA 206H OWNED BY STALACTITE LLC LOCATED IN DEMAREST NJ, WAS INVOLVED IN MAJOR ACCIDENT AFTER TAKEOFF FROM KCDW ON A POSITIONING FLIGHT TO PICK UP A STUDENT PILOT FROM KTEB. VMC WEATHER PREVAILED. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND MOSTLY CONSUMED BY A POST CRASH FIRE; THE PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. THE PILOT HELD A CFI AND COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATES.
THE IIC ARRIVED AT THE CRASH SITE ON 8/15/2015 AT 1145 EST AND BEGAN PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE AND INTERVIEWING WITNESSES. THE NTSB ALSO ARRIVED AT THE SCENE ON 8/15/2015 AT 2000 EDT.
ACCORDING TO A WITNESS STATEMENT FROM A CFI IN THE SAME MAKE/TYPE OF AIRCRAFT STATED; ...IT WAS APPARENT THAT THERE WAS ENGINE TROUBLE EVEN BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED FOR TAKEOFF AND IT APPEARED TO STRUGGLE IN THE CLIMB TO GET ABOVE THE TREES.
AFTER REVIEWING VIDEO SUPPLIED BY THE KCDW AIRPORT IT APPEARS THAT N63TV PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF, CLIMB AND THEN MAKE A LEFT TURN SHORTLY THEREAFTER IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A HIGH ANGLE, HIGH SPEED FOLLOWED BY A BLACK CLOUD OF SMOKE.
THE OFFICIAL CAUSE OF THE SINGLE FATALITY IS UNKNOWN AS THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S REPORT IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME, ALTHOUGH, IT IS ASSUMED TO BE BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA AND/OR BURNING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY CRASH IMPACT FORCES AND POST CRASH FIRE. THE TAIL SECTION, LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS, AND ENGINE WHERE IDENTIFIABLE AND WERE REMOVED AND LOADED ON A FLATBED TRUCK FOR RELOCATION TO A NTSB STORAGE HANGAR.
NO PERSONAL FLIGHT RECORDS WERE LOCATED FOR THE PILOT AT THIS TIME. ANY AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE AND CERTIFICATE INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM THE FAA DATABASE.
THE AIRCRAFT A CESSNA 206H, SERIAL NUMBER T220608925 WAS MANUFACTURED ON 4/2009 AND HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL TIME IN SERVICE OF 1199.2 HOURS. EXAMINATION OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED THAT THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON 4/24/2015, 1155.2 TT. 44 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
A LYCOMING TIO-540-AJ1A ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER L-13251-61E WAS INSTALLED IN THE AIRFRAME ON 4/2009 AND HAD ACCRUED A TOTAL TIME IN SERVICE OF 1199.2 HOURS. ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON THE DATES SPECIFIED ABOVE FOR THE AIRFRAME.
IF AND WHEN ADDITINAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED AS NECESSARY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.