20201215017879A

On December 15, 2020 at approximately 15:00 local CST time, N449JP a rans S-12XL airaile serial number 08950644 departed runway 17 at Port isabel-cameron county airport, (kpil). The two-seat aircraft, certified as an experimental aircraft operating as a light sport, was being operated under part 91, visual flight rules on an instructional flight. The pilot-in-command, a flight instructor was to provide the passenger, the aircraft owner, flight instruction. No flight plan was filed.

The only/last reported contact with the flight instructor (N449JP) was via radio contact with another student. The flight instructor had flown into kpil in another aircraft, N5879A a Cessna 172, with another student with the intent of that student to practice solo pattern work at kpil. During a phone interview with the student pilot of N5879A, he stated that his instructor told him over the kpil CTAF to ?switch (from 17) to runway 13? Due to more favorable winds. The student in N5879A completed his touch and go on runway 17 and then switched to runway 13 as his instructor requested. He also stated he remember seeing the aircraft, (N449JP) ?holding short? Of runway 17 at kpil. He did not remember hearing N449JP make any other radio reports after that.

At approximately 17:00 local CST time, the manager of the fixed based operator (FBO) noted that the aircraft, N449JP, had not returned and contacted corpus christi air traffic control by phone to report the aircraft overdue. A search was initiated.

On December 15, 2020 at approximately 23:30 local CST time, the aircraft wreckage was found about 200 yards south of the departure end of runway 17 and slightly west of the runway centerline. There were no reported witnesses and the airport did not have any camera or surveillance equipment installed.

The FBO manager was asked to provide information about the wreckage and was on scene both during the time the wreckage was found and the next day to provide information. He noted that the aircraft wreckage appeared to be returning, ?heading? Back towards the airport in a straight-in nose down attitude. There was no evidence of fire or mechanical malfunction. The left fuel tank contained approximately one and one-half to two gallons of what appeared to be pre-mix oil and fuel. The right tank did not appear to have any significant fuel. The sole fuel selector was found in the ?on? Position. The water-cooled Rotax engine turned by hand and appeared to have compression and coolant. The key type ignition was found in the ?both? Position. The fuel pump, panel lts, strobe and xponder switches were also all found in the on position. The hobbs meter indicated 1374.8. All flight controls were attached at their respective hinge points and all (tail) cabines appeared still intact. The aircraft wing and lift struts were broken and the wings were found in their respective ?level? Location.

The aircraft cockpit area was substantially damaged and the flight instructor and passenger were both fatally injured. Although the aircraft was equipped with and an emergency locator transmission, (ELT), there was no report of an ELT transmission.