What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
September 26, 2023, pilot completed preflight and moved aircraft out of the hangar with intention of flying. Pilot started and taxied without any issues. Completed run ups and noted all good. Pilot contacted sfb ground for taxi and taxied to departure runway 9CL. Sfb twr controller instructed pilot to fly upwind until advised and cleared for takeoff. Pilot acknowledged and began to takeoff.
Shortly after takeoff, about 100 feet the pilot said the right engine cowling flew open. The pilot stated the engine cowling was straight up in the full open position. He prepared the aircraft for landing, flaps down and gear down as he contacted the tower for clearance to land. The tower directed the pilot to land on 9L. The pilot acknowledged the clearance for 9L, but was so fixated on the open engine cowl, he was not monitoring his altitude or airspeed which was too low and too slow to complete a proper landing on 9L. As the pilot made the first left turn to land, the aircraft stalled out and crashed upon landing. The acft skidded on impact down the active runway, losing the left wing, with fuel coming out of the front tank and leaving debri on the runway. The pilot was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released with stiched in his left arm, and other cuts/bruises. In the pilot's statement he admitted to not utilizing the checklist and performing a thorough walk around inspection prior to flight, then was focused on the engine cowl fearing it would rip off in flight and did not maintain proper altitude or airspeed.
I inspected the aircraft, along with parts/pieces that had come off during landing and did not note any mechanical issues that were unrelated to the accident. The aircraft appeared to be well maintained prior to the crash, but suffered the loss of the the left wing, broken canopy, engine partially separated from the aircraft at the fire wall, most flight controls were jammed due to impact with the ground, the engine frame was also broken on both sides. The dzus fasteners on the right engine cowl did not show any defects and the holes for the fasteners were not defective or elongated.
As the FAA filed it
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023, PILOT COMPLETED PREFLIGHT AND MOVED AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE HANGAR WITH INTENTION OF FLYING. PILOT STARTED AND TAXIED WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. COMPLETED RUN UPS AND NOTED ALL GOOD. PILOT CONTACTED SFB GROUND FOR TAXI AND TAXIED TO DEPARTURE RUNWAY 9CL. SFB TWR CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED PILOT TO FLY UPWIND UNTIL ADVISED AND CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF. PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED AND BEGAN TO TAKEOFF.
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, ABOUT 100 FEET THE PILOT SAID THE RIGHT ENGINE COWLING FLEW OPEN. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE COWLING WAS STRAIGHT UP IN THE FULL OPEN POSITION. HE PREPARED THE AIRCRAFT FOR LANDING, FLAPS DOWN AND GEAR DOWN AS HE CONTACTED THE TOWER FOR CLEARANCE TO LAND. THE TOWER DIRECTED THE PILOT TO LAND ON 9L. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE FOR 9L, BUT WAS SO FIXATED ON THE OPEN ENGINE COWL, HE WAS NOT MONITORING HIS ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED WHICH WAS TOO LOW AND TOO SLOW TO COMPLETE A PROPER LANDING ON 9L. AS THE PILOT MADE THE FIRST LEFT TURN TO LAND, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED OUT AND CRASHED UPON LANDING. THE ACFT SKIDDED ON IMPACT DOWN THE ACTIVE RUNWAY, LOSING THE LEFT WING, WITH FUEL COMING OUT OF THE FRONT TANK AND LEAVING DEBRI ON THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED WITH STICHED IN HIS LEFT ARM, AND OTHER CUTS/BRUISES. IN THE PILOT'S STATEMENT HE ADMITTED TO NOT UTILIZING THE CHECKLIST AND PERFORMING A THOROUGH WALK AROUND INSPECTION PRIOR TO FLIGHT, THEN WAS FOCUSED ON THE ENGINE COWL FEARING IT WOULD RIP OFF IN FLIGHT AND DID NOT MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED.
I INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT, ALONG WITH PARTS/PIECES THAT HAD COME OFF DURING LANDING AND DID NOT NOTE ANY MECHANICAL ISSUES THAT WERE UNRELATED TO THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE WELL MAINTAINED PRIOR TO THE CRASH, BUT SUFFERED THE LOSS OF THE THE LEFT WING, BROKEN CANOPY, ENGINE PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AT THE FIRE WALL, MOST FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE JAMMED DUE TO IMPACT WITH THE GROUND, THE ENGINE FRAME WAS ALSO BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES. THE DZUS FASTENERS ON THE RIGHT ENGINE COWL DID NOT SHOW ANY DEFECTS AND THE HOLES FOR THE FASTENERS WERE NOT DEFECTIVE OR ELONGATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.