20250214001379A

The non-instrument-rated commercial pilot departed from sebastian municipal airport (X26), sebastian, Florida at 1752 and was enroute to palatka municipal airport/lt. kay larkin field (28J), palatka, Florida, which was located about 125 nautical miles (NM) to the north-northwest. Preliminary ADS-B data showed that shortly after departure, during the initial enroute portion of the flight, the pilot followed interstate 95 north on a track of about 344°, at an altitude of 1,700 ft mean sea level (MSL), for about 50 NM. The pilot turned left to about 270° over the city of deland, Florida and climbed

The airplane to 3,100 ft MSL. After passing over the city, the pilot turned right to a ground track of about 024° while continuing to climb to a maximum altitude of 3,300 ft MSL; the turn and new direction was about 35° right of the straight line course and 30 NM south of the destination airport (28J). The reported weather along the route of flight and near the accident site consisted of twilight conditions (dusk), with scattered and overcast clouds between 2,700 to 3,300 ft MSL and 7 to 10 miles visibility. At the destination airport, there were few clouds reported at 1,800 ft. about 5 NM into the new track, the airplane’s altitude began to steadily decrease, and its vertical speed oscillated between positive and negative values prior to the airplane entering a descending 180° turn to the right (figure 2). The descent rate increased steadily to greater than

-12,000 Ft per minute (fpm) until the data ended. The final ADS-B target was on a track of 209° at 400 ft MSL (about 370 ft above ground level), and at a groundspeed of 182 KTS. The airplane impacted a densely wooded swamp at an elevation of 53 ft. the wreckage was

Scattered along a fan-like pattern from the primary impact point and was oriented on a 279° magnetic heading with a debris field that was about 75 yards long. The initial impact point were the tops of 65-FT-tall trees with associated tree and limb fractures progressively lower to the terrain where the propeller and engine assembly impacted the ground creating a 30-inch deep crater. The propeller assembly buried into the ground. The main body of the wreckage

Consisting of the fuselage and cockpit was discovered wrapped around trees. Both wings and the empennage separated during impact and the debris field contained severely fragmented parts consistent with a high energy impact. The accident site and debris field was covered in 2 ft deep water, mud, and densely populated palmetto trees. The accident site had the strong odor of jet fuel and there was a fuel slick in the water. There was no evidence of a post impact fire observed at the accident site and no evidence of an inflight fire was observed on the airplane wreckage. Both wings were impact-separated and fragmented. Two of the three propellers were found separated from the hub near the initial impact point and exhibited curling features consistent with rotational impact. The third propeller was not immediately found.