What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Daytona Beach, FL (7FL6): N255JB, SR20, crashed in a wooded area off bravo victor circle due to unknown reasons. POB: 2, injuries: critical, damage: destroyed. 2/24 1145Z.
Friday, February 24, 2017 0720 - received a call from flm informing me of an accident that took place in Spruce Creek.
0820 - Arrived at scene near bravo victor circle / fly-in Spruce Creek. Met with deputy sheriffs. They briefed me on the situation and escorted me to the aircraft. Found aircraft in wooded area on the ground inverted, completely destroyed. Debris scattered as FAR as 150 yards behind the aircrafts apparent path. I took several pictures and scouted the area surrounding the wreckage.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
0900 - Arrived at Florida air recovery (jax). Inspectors from this office met with (Continental eng. Rep) and (Cirrus rep). No determinations, at this time could be made as FAR as why the aircraft went down.
05-31-2017 Recieved pilot statement.
The pilot stated.
On Friday 24 February 2017 m^r. kanabay and his wife (wilhelmine kanabay)^ planned to depart 7FL6 for a flight to 47N with a fuel stop at klbt.
Preflight and taxi was normal, but during the before take-off checklist (run up) after loading the electrical system and insuring that each alternator would hold ^Mr. Kanabay^ went to turn off the pitot heat switch and inadvertently switched off the avionics power as they are located directly next to each other and the feel of the switches are the same. He then had to turn the avionics back on, let the system re-initialize and do their internal tests and then he had to rebuild the flight plan.
Around sunrise, they departed VFR runway 23, with the IFR flight plan on file. He had to remain below 1,200' due to the kdab class c airspace, and he was going to contact kdab and open the flight plan after he climbed to 1,000' MSL. They rotated at 65 KIAS, then at 85 KIAS, brought the flaps up which changed the pitch of the plane, and looked down at the indicator light to assure that the flaps had retracted. At this point they entered a fog bank and became IMC. In the early morning light he stated he was unable to see the low fog prior to encountering it. It appeared to be clear VMC from the departure end of the runway. His first thought was that if anyone was flying an approach to runway 5 then he would be nose to nose with them so he felt the need to turn. The next thing he knew, he was looking at a tree that was about to strike the right side of the aircraft where his wife was sitting. He immediately input full left rudder/left aileron/up elevator to attempt to avoid the direct impact with the tree. It happened so fast that he had not yet transition to the use of instruments. The next thing he remember is that they were on the ground -upside down and hanging by they're shoulder straps. He spoke to his wife and neither of them could exit the aircraft until rescue crews freed them and took them to the hospital.
As the FAA filed it
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (7FL6): N255JB, SR20, CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA OFF BRAVO VICTOR CIRCLE DUE TO UNKNOWN REASONS. POB: 2, INJURIES: CRITICAL, DAMAGE: DESTROYED. 2/24 1145Z.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017 0720 - RECEIVED A CALL FROM FLM INFORMING ME OF AN ACCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN SPRUCE CREEK.
0820 - ARRIVED AT SCENE NEAR BRAVO VICTOR CIRCLE / FLY-IN SPRUCE CREEK. MET WITH DEPUTY SHERIFFS. THEY BRIEFED ME ON THE SITUATION AND ESCORTED ME TO THE AIRCRAFT. FOUND AIRCRAFT IN WOODED AREA ON THE GROUND INVERTED, COMPLETELY DESTROYED. DEBRIS SCATTERED AS FAR AS 150 YARDS BEHIND THE AIRCRAFTS APPARENT PATH. I TOOK SEVERAL PICTURES AND SCOUTED THE AREA SURROUNDING THE WRECKAGE.
TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2017
0900 - ARRIVED AT FLORIDA AIR RECOVERY (JAX). INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE MET WITH (CONTINENTAL ENG. REP) AND (CIRRUS REP). NO DETERMINATIONS, AT THIS TIME COULD BE MADE AS FAR AS WHY THE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN.
05-31-2017 RECIEVED PILOT STATEMENT.
THE PILOT STATED.
ON FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2017 M^R. KANABAY AND HIS WIFE (WILHELMINE KANABAY)^ PLANNED TO DEPART 7FL6 FOR A FLIGHT TO 47N WITH A FUEL STOP AT KLBT.
PREFLIGHT AND TAXI WAS NORMAL, BUT DURING THE BEFORE TAKE-OFF CHECKLIST (RUN UP) AFTER LOADING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND INSURING THAT EACH ALTERNATOR WOULD HOLD ^MR. KANABAY^ WENT TO TURN OFF THE PITOT HEAT SWITCH AND INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED OFF THE AVIONICS POWER AS THEY ARE LOCATED DIRECTLY NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND THE FEEL OF THE SWITCHES ARE THE SAME. HE THEN HAD TO TURN THE AVIONICS BACK ON, LET THE SYSTEM RE-INITIALIZE AND DO THEIR INTERNAL TESTS AND THEN HE HAD TO REBUILD THE FLIGHT PLAN.
AROUND SUNRISE, THEY DEPARTED VFR RUNWAY 23, WITH THE IFR FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE. HE HAD TO REMAIN BELOW 1,200' DUE TO THE KDAB CLASS C AIRSPACE, AND HE WAS GOING TO CONTACT KDAB AND OPEN THE FLIGHT PLAN AFTER HE CLIMBED TO 1,000' MSL. THEY ROTATED AT 65 KIAS, THEN AT 85 KIAS, BROUGHT THE FLAPS UP WHICH CHANGED THE PITCH OF THE PLANE, AND LOOKED DOWN AT THE INDICATOR LIGHT TO ASSURE THAT THE FLAPS HAD RETRACTED. AT THIS POINT THEY ENTERED A FOG BANK AND BECAME IMC. IN THE EARLY MORNING LIGHT HE STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE LOW FOG PRIOR TO ENCOUNTERING IT. IT APPEARED TO BE CLEAR VMC FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. HIS FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT IF ANYONE WAS FLYING AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 5 THEN HE WOULD BE NOSE TO NOSE WITH THEM SO HE FELT THE NEED TO TURN. THE NEXT THING HE KNEW, HE WAS LOOKING AT A TREE THAT WAS ABOUT TO STRIKE THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT WHERE HIS WIFE WAS SITTING. HE IMMEDIATELY INPUT FULL LEFT RUDDER/LEFT AILERON/UP ELEVATOR TO ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE DIRECT IMPACT WITH THE TREE. IT HAPPENED SO FAST THAT HE HAD NOT YET TRANSITION TO THE USE OF INSTRUMENTS. THE NEXT THING HE REMEMBER IS THAT THEY WERE ON THE GROUND -UPSIDE DOWN AND HANGING BY THEY'RE SHOULDER STRAPS. HE SPOKE TO HIS WIFE AND NEITHER OF THEM COULD EXIT THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL RESCUE CREWS FREED THEM AND TOOK THEM TO THE HOSPITAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.