CEN25FA052

On November 27, 2024, about 18:30 central standard time, a Cozy Mark III, N51810 was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Mineola, Texas. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The airplane departed Houston Southwest Airport (AXH), Houston, Texas, about 1720. The pilot was on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan and received VFR flight following while en route to his destination airport, Cox Field Airport (PRX), Paris, Texas. The airplane impacted a densely forested area about 60 nm south of PRX. Branches on trees, about 40 ft southeast of the impact site, exhibited 45° angle cuts and some branches had a broom-straw like appearance. A propeller blade was found under one of the trees with the damaged branches. There was a large crater about 7 ft in diameter and 3 ft deep, northeast of the damaged trees, that contained the engine and remainder of the propeller, still attached at the flange. The debris field fanned out about 45 ft in a circle from the crater. The majority of the debris field was on a heading of about 150°. The debris field consisted of both vertical stabilizers, both rudders, pieces of the nose canard, left and right navigation lights, left and right ailerons, pieces of both wings, pieces of the acrylic canopy, and main landing gear. Blue Styrofoam and small pieces of fiberglass were scattered throughout the area. The right navigation light was crushed, but the left navigation light was not damaged. Although heavily fragmented, all four corners of the airplane, including the nose canard, were identified at the scene. The airplane wreckage and engine were retained for further examination.