20230219001959A

The onsite investigation revealed N420PF, a 2022, fixed wing multi-engine experimental aircraft with pontoon floats, departed the Grass Valley airport on February 19, 2023, at 13:09 pm PST and flew in the local area for 14 minutes before crashing into a field approximately 7.8 nautical miles south of the Grass Valley airport (kgoo) at 13:24 pm PST. The aircraft had two occupants on board which were both fatalities. The aircraft accident site is across the street from the passenger’s residence. Rerecords show that N420PF received 18.6 gallons of fuel (100LL) from the Grass Valley airport at 15:05 pm CST (13:05 pm PST) prior to the flight. The witnesses that were interviewed described the aircraft was flying very low and slow. They stated N420PF was flying south to north parallel to amber street in Grass Valley, CA. The witnesses estimated the aircraft’s speed at an approximately 50 mph at an altitude of no more than 100 feet above the ground and clearing the trees by 20 feet. The witnesses were consistent when describing N420PH flight. They stated the aircraft was flying straight and level until the right wing dipped and rapidly rolled right and went straight into the ground.

Accident site: the accident occurred in an open field with a slight slope descending from east to west. There were three small pear trees to the west of the aircraft along with 80’ pine trees surrounding the open field. N420PF came to a rest on a heading of 057° magnetic. There were three gouge marks approximately 5 feet to the west of the wreckage forming a triangle. The middle gouge mark contained pieces of the cockpit instruments and the other two marks appear to be made by the pontoons. The initial impact marks indicate the aircraft was in a near vertical descent when it impacted the ground and flipped over onto its back and coming to rest on its right side.

Fusalage: the fuselage was heavily damaged beginning at the nose to about mid-section. The metal was crumpled aft in an accordion fashion. The forward-right side received more impact damage than the forward-left side. The front cockpit area was heavily fragmented. The front windscreen was fragmented and separated from the fuselage. There were two near vertical slash cuts into the aluminum skin located on the left side of the fuselage. One of the slash cuts penetrated the inner wall of the cockpit area. The aft section of the fuselage exhibited substantial damage throughout, but the damage lessoned near the empennage. The empennage separated from the aft fuselage but remained attached by the control cables. At the area of the separation was a circular row of rivets that had separated from the two halves (empennage and aft fuselage). The horizontal stabilizers and elevators remained installed to the empennage and exhibited less than substantial damage. The elevator trim remained installed on the left elevator and exhibited minor damage. The vertical stabilizer and rudder remained installed on the empennage and exhibited less than substantial damage. All rudder and elevator control cables remained installed on their respective control surfaces and ran through the aft fuselage to their respective flight controls in the rear seat area. The damage to the rear and front seat flight controls. The flap actuator separated from the airplane and was located in the debris field close to the airplane. The actuator was extended to xx inches, consistent with xxx-position.

Wings: the wings and engines separated from the fuselage as a single unit, but remained attached by various cables and some attachment brackets. The right wing exhibited substantial damage with bent metal framework. The right aileron remained installed on the right wing. The control tube from the aileron to the bellcrank remained installed but bent. The spanwise control tube fractured at the bellcrank, mid-wing, but remained installed at the center/common bellcrank. The right aileron control cable remained installed from the center/common bellc