What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
05/23/2016
P.I.c. was scheduled for two (2), three (3) hour time building part 61 flights betweeen (08:00 - 11:00 & 15:00 - 18:00 local)and assigned to fly N952SA in dispatch.
P.I.c. preflighted N952SA, but was unable to start the aircraft after four (4) attempts, he notified dispatch and assigned another aircraft to fly. N952SA'S eng. Starting issues were not documented in the aircraft's discrepancy record.
The p.I.c.'s newly assigned aircraft, N953SA was also unable to start after four (4) attempts and the p.I.c. notified dispatch.
The p.I.c. was then assigned N6469P, departed and completed his first, previously scheduled three (3) hour time building flight. Student declined to do his second three (3) hour time building flight in this aircraft due to instrument ground school attendance.
After ground school, p.I.c. went to dispatch and assigned to fly N952SA again. Dispatch informed p.I.c. that N952SA was airworthy and then the p.I.c. pre-flighted, started N952SA without difficulty.
After starting N952SA, p.I.c. noted radios had static noise, unable to communicate with dispatch, shut down the aircraft and went to dispatch. The radio discrepancy was documented in the aircraft's discrepancy record. Mx checked the radios and determined they were in working order.
P.I.c. started N952SA without difficulty, radios were operational and departed ormond beach airport (omn) on a nw departure for gainesville airport (gnv). P.I.c. requested a radio frequency change to daytona beach (dab) approach, but unable to hear due to radio static and decided to continue to gnv without flight following.
At a cruising altitude of 4,500 feet and approximately 13 nautical miles (NM) from gnv; p.I.c. tuned gnv ATIS and tower. Frequencies. P.I.c. was able to get ATIS, began descent from 4,500 ft. to 1,100 ft., ran checklist, mixture rich, carb. Heat to hot, throttle reduced to 1,500 RPM.
At approximate altitude of 1,100 ft. and to NM from gnv the engine shutdown without warning. P.I.c. saw propeller rotating backwards, reduced airspeed to 60 knots (KTS.), looked for a field to land, attempted to start the engine, but it never started.
P.I.c. remembered the approach to the field, did not remember the landing, woke up in the aircraft and climbed on the top of the aircraft. P.I.c. called personnel at the flight school to inform them of the crash and was advised to call 911. P.I.c. received several calls asking is he crashed and his location and advised that help was on the way.
P.I.c. was located and taken out of the accident site on a 4-wheel all terrain vehicle, placed in a truck and then transported via helicopter to university of Florida hospital in gainesville. P.I.c. was picked up at the hospital by flight school personnel and returned to omn.
The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and is still, currently intact and located at its point of impact. The terrain is a grassy/marshy/swampy area within the university of Florida's ifas research - ordway-swisher biological station. Due to the location of the accident site within the boundaries of a biological research area; it has not been feasible to remove the data plate or wreckage for further examination without possible contamination of the pristine, research environment.
As the FAA filed it
05/23/2016
P.I.C. WAS SCHEDULED FOR TWO (2), THREE (3) HOUR TIME BUILDING PART 61 FLIGHTS BETWEEEN (08:00 - 11:00 & 15:00 - 18:00 LOCAL)AND ASSIGNED TO FLY N952SA IN DISPATCH.
P.I.C. PREFLIGHTED N952SA, BUT WAS UNABLE TO START THE AIRCRAFT AFTER FOUR (4) ATTEMPTS, HE NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND ASSIGNED ANOTHER AIRCRAFT TO FLY. N952SA'S ENG. STARTING ISSUES WERE NOT DOCUMENTED IN THE AIRCRAFT'S DISCREPANCY RECORD.
THE P.I.C.'S NEWLY ASSIGNED AIRCRAFT, N953SA WAS ALSO UNABLE TO START AFTER FOUR (4) ATTEMPTS AND THE P.I.C. NOTIFIED DISPATCH.
THE P.I.C. WAS THEN ASSIGNED N6469P, DEPARTED AND COMPLETED HIS FIRST, PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED THREE (3) HOUR TIME BUILDING FLIGHT. STUDENT DECLINED TO DO HIS SECOND THREE (3) HOUR TIME BUILDING FLIGHT IN THIS AIRCRAFT DUE TO INSTRUMENT GROUND SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
AFTER GROUND SCHOOL, P.I.C. WENT TO DISPATCH AND ASSIGNED TO FLY N952SA AGAIN. DISPATCH INFORMED P.I.C. THAT N952SA WAS AIRWORTHY AND THEN THE P.I.C. PRE-FLIGHTED, STARTED N952SA WITHOUT DIFFICULTY.
AFTER STARTING N952SA, P.I.C. NOTED RADIOS HAD STATIC NOISE, UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH DISPATCH, SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND WENT TO DISPATCH. THE RADIO DISCREPANCY WAS DOCUMENTED IN THE AIRCRAFT'S DISCREPANCY RECORD. MX CHECKED THE RADIOS AND DETERMINED THEY WERE IN WORKING ORDER.
P.I.C. STARTED N952SA WITHOUT DIFFICULTY, RADIOS WERE OPERATIONAL AND DEPARTED ORMOND BEACH AIRPORT (OMN) ON A NW DEPARTURE FOR GAINESVILLE AIRPORT (GNV). P.I.C. REQUESTED A RADIO FREQUENCY CHANGE TO DAYTONA BEACH (DAB) APPROACH, BUT UNABLE TO HEAR DUE TO RADIO STATIC AND DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO GNV WITHOUT FLIGHT FOLLOWING.
AT A CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 4,500 FEET AND APPROXIMATELY 13 NAUTICAL MILES (NM) FROM GNV; P.I.C. TUNED GNV ATIS AND TOWER. FREQUENCIES. P.I.C. WAS ABLE TO GET ATIS, BEGAN DESCENT FROM 4,500 FT. TO 1,100 FT., RAN CHECKLIST, MIXTURE RICH, CARB. HEAT TO HOT, THROTTLE REDUCED TO 1,500 RPM.
AT APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE OF 1,100 FT. AND TO NM FROM GNV THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN WITHOUT WARNING. P.I.C. SAW PROPELLER ROTATING BACKWARDS, REDUCED AIRSPEED TO 60 KNOTS (KTS.), LOOKED FOR A FIELD TO LAND, ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE, BUT IT NEVER STARTED.
P.I.C. REMEMBERED THE APPROACH TO THE FIELD, DID NOT REMEMBER THE LANDING, WOKE UP IN THE AIRCRAFT AND CLIMBED ON THE TOP OF THE AIRCRAFT. P.I.C. CALLED PERSONNEL AT THE FLIGHT SCHOOL TO INFORM THEM OF THE CRASH AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL 911. P.I.C. RECEIVED SEVERAL CALLS ASKING IS HE CRASHED AND HIS LOCATION AND ADVISED THAT HELP WAS ON THE WAY.
P.I.C. WAS LOCATED AND TAKEN OUT OF THE ACCIDENT SITE ON A 4-WHEEL ALL TERRAIN VEHICLE, PLACED IN A TRUCK AND THEN TRANSPORTED VIA HELICOPTER TO UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA HOSPITAL IN GAINESVILLE. P.I.C. WAS PICKED UP AT THE HOSPITAL BY FLIGHT SCHOOL PERSONNEL AND RETURNED TO OMN.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACT AND IS STILL, CURRENTLY INTACT AND LOCATED AT ITS POINT OF IMPACT. THE TERRAIN IS A GRASSY/MARSHY/SWAMPY AREA WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA'S IFAS RESEARCH - ORDWAY-SWISHER BIOLOGICAL STATION. DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF A BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH AREA; IT HAS NOT BEEN FEASIBLE TO REMOVE THE DATA PLATE OR WRECKAGE FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION WITHOUT POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION OF THE PRISTINE, RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.