CEN14LA379

The owner of the light-sport airplane reported that the noncertificated pilot was taking aerial photographs during the accident flight. A witness reported observing the airplane flying low in a turn and then losing sight of the airplane as it disappeared behind trees. He regained sight of the airplane as it climbed back up above the trees and then heard the engine rev several times before the airplane disappeared behind the trees again. Witness marks and impact damage were consistent with the airplane striking a treetop before colliding with the ground. An examination of the airplane, engine, and related systems revealed no preimpact anomalies.

The accident airplane, a Kolb Mark III, was not registered with the FAA. The two seat airplane met the requirements of a light sport airplane. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident reported that there were no maintenance logbooks, no registration paperwork, and no airworthiness certificate for the airplane. The owner of the airplane understood that as long as only one person was on board, it did not need to be registered with the FAA. The light sport airplane did not meet the definition of an ultralight and was required to be registered with the FAA. On June 30, 2014, about 2000 central daylight time, an unregistered Kolb Mark III light sport airplane, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain under unknown circumstances near Jonesville, Louisiana. The non-certificated pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was owned by a private individual and operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated from the Louisiana Delta Plantation at 1900. This accident was initially reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), on July 3, 2014, as an ultralight accident. The NTSB was contacted again on July 16, 2014, by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), stating that the aircraft was not an ultralight. The owner of the airplane informed the FAA inspector that the pilot of the airplane was taking aerial photographs of land that the owner wanted to purchase. According to a witness he heard what sounded like an ultralight airplane making a low pass. He looked and observed a small airplane make a turn and eventually lost sight of the airplane as it disappeared behind the trees, flying over Wallace Lake. The airplane came back up over the trees at which time he heard the engine of the airplane rev several times. It sounded like the pilot was increasing power to the engine and the witness perceived the airplane's attempt to climb. The airplane descended towards the trees and he heard a "boom" or "thud". The pilot was critically injured in the accident. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital and died about one hour later. An autopsy of the pilot was conducted on July 2, 2014, at the Louisiana Forensic Center, Youngsville, Louisiana. The pilot's death was attributed to multiple blunt force injuries and the autopsy report listed the specific injuries. Toxicology specimens were not collected for toxicological testing by the FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI), Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The closest official weather observation station was Hardy-Anders Field Natchez-Adams County Airport (KHEZ), Natchez, Mississippi, located 23 nautical miles southeast of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 272 feet mean sea level (msl). The routine aviation weather report (METAR)for KHEZ, issued at 1955, reported, wind 180 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky condition clear, temperature 29 degrees Celsius (C), dew point temperature 23 degrees C, altimeter 30.00 inches. The pilot, age 56, did not hold any pilot certificate or airman medical certificate. The pilot's flight time and experience is not known and no logbooks were made available during the course of the investigation. The accident site was located in level terrain vegetated with deciduous trees and bushes. The accident site was at an elevation of 50 feet msl. The airplane came to rest directly beneath a tree. The wreckage included the fuselage, empennage, engine and propeller assemblies, and both wings. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene reported that the airplane appeared to have struck the tree before hitting the ground. The flight controls were continuous and the engine and propeller assemblies remained attached to the airframe. Both wings were bent and wrinkled, the fuselage was crushed, and the windscreen and instrument panel were broken. He stated that the propeller was damaged but remained attached to the engine. The inspector stated that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The sheriff reported that there was fuel in the fuel tanks and that nothing was leaking from the fuel tank or airplane.