What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft privacy data omitted departed fernandina beach airport at approximately 11 am eastern time on June 18th 2021. The purpose of the flight was flight training. The aircraft flew up to the st marys river and proceeded to conduct flight training maneuvers. Recreated ground track shows the aircraft at approximately 1000' when it entered a nose down attitude and flew nearly vertically into the river. Witnesses state the aircraft engine was running at the time. There was no ATC communications, and the aircraft was not equipped with adsb. Post accident investigation revealed a broken metal support covering to the elevator control. NTSB sent the part off for further study to determine if the damage occurred during flight or as a result of the impact with the water.
Interviews with other students trained by the instructor indicate that the instructor routinely performed stall maneuvers at altitudes of 1200 feet and below. Per the private pilot acs, the minimum altitude to recover from a stall is 1500 feet.
Entries into the flight logbook of the student and the hour level of training point to the possibility that the instructor may have been performing stall maneuvers.
Toxicology reports indicate no abnormalities.
Fuel samples taken from the fuel truck at the airport show no signs of fuel contamination.
Weight and balance for the aircraft shows at maximum gross weight and in the middle of the center of gravity limits.
Aircraft maintenance records show all required inspections were up to date. The aircraft was purchased by privacy data omitted aircraft in December 2020. privacy data omitted Aircraft had recently purchased the aircraft from an owner in Texas where it had evidently been stored for 14 years. privacy data omitted Rebuilt the engine, propeller, and installed new avionics and sold the aircraft.
Cause of the accident listed as loss of control. No direct cause of loss of control can be determined at this time. The elevator control linkage is being tested by the NTSB and results not available at the time of this report. The instructor pilot was conducting training at 1000'. It cannot be determined exactly what maneuvers were being performed, however training at this altitude would allow little altitude for recovery of the aircraft if loss of control occurred during any training maneuver.
All interviews and NTSB reports kept on file at the orlando FSDO. Sas activity 1703 report is SO15202106832.
9/12/2022. NTSB lab work on the metallurgy of the elevator control linkage concluded that no indication of metal failure was present. No evidence is present from the data collected to draw a conclustion to the cause of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED FERNANDINA BEACH AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 11 AM EASTERN TIME ON JUNE 18TH 2021. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FLIGHT TRAINING. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW UP TO THE ST MARYS RIVER AND PROCEEDED TO CONDUCT FLIGHT TRAINING MANEUVERS. RECREATED GROUND TRACK SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 1000' WHEN IT ENTERED A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND FLEW NEARLY VERTICALLY INTO THE RIVER. WITNESSES STATE THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME. THERE WAS NO ATC COMMUNICATIONS, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH ADSB. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED A BROKEN METAL SUPPORT COVERING TO THE ELEVATOR CONTROL. NTSB SENT THE PART OFF FOR FURTHER STUDY TO DETERMINE IF THE DAMAGE OCCURRED DURING FLIGHT OR AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT WITH THE WATER.
INTERVIEWS WITH OTHER STUDENTS TRAINED BY THE INSTRUCTOR INDICATE THAT THE INSTRUCTOR ROUTINELY PERFORMED STALL MANEUVERS AT ALTITUDES OF 1200 FEET AND BELOW. PER THE PRIVATE PILOT ACS, THE MINIMUM ALTITUDE TO RECOVER FROM A STALL IS 1500 FEET.
ENTRIES INTO THE FLIGHT LOGBOOK OF THE STUDENT AND THE HOUR LEVEL OF TRAINING POINT TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE INSTRUCTOR MAY HAVE BEEN PERFORMING STALL MANEUVERS.
TOXICOLOGY REPORTS INDICATE NO ABNORMALITIES.
FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE FUEL TRUCK AT THE AIRPORT SHOW NO SIGNS OF FUEL CONTAMINATION.
WEIGHT AND BALANCE FOR THE AIRCRAFT SHOWS AT MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMITS.
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOW ALL REQUIRED INSPECTIONS WERE UP TO DATE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PURCHASED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRCRAFT IN DECEMBER 2020. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRCRAFT HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT FROM AN OWNER IN TEXAS WHERE IT HAD EVIDENTLY BEEN STORED FOR 14 YEARS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REBUILT THE ENGINE, PROPELLER, AND INSTALLED NEW AVIONICS AND SOLD THE AIRCRAFT.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT LISTED AS LOSS OF CONTROL. NO DIRECT CAUSE OF LOSS OF CONTROL CAN BE DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. THE ELEVATOR CONTROL LINKAGE IS BEING TESTED BY THE NTSB AND RESULTS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT WAS CONDUCTING TRAINING AT 1000'. IT CANNOT BE DETERMINED EXACTLY WHAT MANEUVERS WERE BEING PERFORMED, HOWEVER TRAINING AT THIS ALTITUDE WOULD ALLOW LITTLE ALTITUDE FOR RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT IF LOSS OF CONTROL OCCURRED DURING ANY TRAINING MANEUVER.
ALL INTERVIEWS AND NTSB REPORTS KEPT ON FILE AT THE ORLANDO FSDO. SAS ACTIVITY 1703 REPORT IS SO15202106832.
9/12/2022. NTSB LAB WORK ON THE METALLURGY OF THE ELEVATOR CONTROL LINKAGE CONCLUDED THAT NO INDICATION OF METAL FAILURE WAS PRESENT. NO EVIDENCE IS PRESENT FROM THE DATA COLLECTED TO DRAW A CONCLUSTION TO THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.