SEA03FA015

The 1,570 hour pilot/builder, along with a 9,000 hour commercial pilot (who had 150 hours experience in the make/model), departed in the homebuilt Seawind 3000 amphibious aircraft on a test flight after a little more than 12 hours of test flying. After approximately 30 minutes witnesses observed the aircraft go from a climb into a descending spiral. One witness reported that he heard the engine quit while others described varying engine sounds characteristic of decaying or intermittent power. One witness observed the aircraft's wings rocking about the longitudinal axis and 3/4 through the third spiral the nose dropped. The aircraft impacted the ground in a near vertical attitude with minimal evidence of horizontal motion through the heavily wooded terrain of the crash site. A post-crash fire consumed most of the aircraft. On site examination found no evidence of mechanical malfunction with the aircraft's controls and an engine disassembly and examination revealed the same findings for the powerplant. Propeller slash marks along the side of one of the trees at the ground impact site suggested a minimum of 1000 RPM an instant before ground impact. The center of gravity was estimated to be within limits at the time of the accident and the stall speed of the aircraft was reported as 64 knots (clean).

History of flight

On November 30, 2002, approximately 1045 Pacific standard time, an amphibious homebuilt Caron Seawind 3000, N313FC, recently registered to, and operated by a private pilot, who was accompanied by a commercial pilot, was destroyed during collision with terrain in an uncontrolled descent following a loss of control in flight. The aircraft crashed in heavily wooded terrain three nautical miles north-northeast of Bryant, Washington. A post-crash fire destroyed much of the aircraft. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was being conducted to test the aircraft and afford the owner/builder flight experience in the aircraft, was operated under 14CFR91, and originated from Paine Field, Everett, Washington, where the aircraft underwent final assembly. The aircraft was cleared for takeoff from Paine Field at 1014 on the morning of the accident.

Several witnesses located in the vicinity of the accident site reported observing the aircraft prior to the accident. The witnesses reported the following:

Witness #1 was located approximately one nautical mile north northeast of the crash site. He reported hearing the aircraft coming up from the direction of Arlington (from the south) and observed the aircraft "...bank[ed] over to the left and start[ed] a tight spiral...." He estimated the aircraft's altitude about 3,000 feet, climbing steadily and reported that its engine sounded like it was "laboring." He further reported that the pilot "...could not maintain power..." and the spirals became "bigger" throughout the descent until he lost sight of the aircraft due to trees. When asked to describe the spiral maneuver in greater detail he reported that the "...spiral started tight and he quickle [sic] turned 3 or 4 times, then he enlarged the spiral getting wider and wider..." (refer to attached Statement W-I).

Witness #2 was located approximately 2,000 feet south of the crash site. He reported that he heard the aircraft, looked over at it and noted that it was traveling east estimating its altitude as about 3,000 feet. He diverted his attention away from the aircraft and then heard the engine "quit," at which time he looked back and observed the aircraft "...making a clockwise turn and the nose was about 30 to 40 [degrees] down...." He further commented that "...it sounded like he was trying to start it..." and that as the aircraft headed west the nose came up and the aircraft entered another clockwise circle with the wings rocking about the longitudinal axis. He continued, reporting that when the aircraft was about three quarters through the third circle the nose went down and "...I knew he was going to hit..." (refer to attached Statement W-II).

Witness #3 was located approximately 2,000 feet northeast of the crash site. He reported that while working outside he "...heard 2 distinctive short 'burbs' (not drawn out sputtering)..." at which time he looked up and observed the aircraft slightly northwest of his location engaged in a slow, clockwise spiral. He reported that about five seconds later he hear a distinct, loud "pop" and the aircraft "...began a faster downward spiral almost straight down...." He continued, reporting that several seconds later the aircraft "...seemed to decrease the angle of descent & slow down..." as it continued its clockwise downward spiral. He indicated that at this point the aircraft was "angling" toward the crash site (tracking roughly southwest) at which time the aircraft disappeared behind trees/terrain (refer to attached Statement W-III).

A 4th witness located five miles north of Arlington provided a statement to the Snohomish County Sheriff's department. She reported in part, hearing the sound of an airplane engine "...spitting - going out - then back on again..." and then looked up and saw a white airplane spiraling down (refer to attached Statement W-IV).

None of the witnesses reported seeing anything depart the aircraft nor did they report seeing any smoke from the aircraft during their observations.

Personnel information

Pilot/Builder:

The pilot/builder possessed a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and sea ratings. According to his "Airman Rating Application" for a single-engine sea rating, dated August 29, 1998, he reported a total of 1,570 hours of flight experience of which 1,510 were reported as pilot-in-command. His most recent FAA medical, dated July 1, 2002, showed a total of 1,670 hours of flight experience and he received a Class 3 medical certificate with a restriction the he "must wear corrective lenses." According to the Snohomish County Sheriff's report, this occupant was found in the left seat position of the accident wreckage.

Test pilot:

The test pilot possessed a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and sea, multi-engine land, and instrument ratings. Additionally, he possessed a flight instructor certificate with an airplane single-engine rating. He also held an advanced ground instructor certificate and an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate.

According to an itemization of ratings, qualifications and flight time for insurance purposes, dated September 1, 2002, he reported a total of 9,000 hours of flight experience of which 150 hours were in the Seawind model aircraft. His most recent FAA medical, dated October 11, 2001, showed a total of 9,000 hours of flight experience and he received a Class 2 medical certificate with a restriction the he "must wear corrective lenses." According to the Snohomish County Sheriff's report, this occupant was found in the right seat position of the accident wreckage.

Aircraft information

N313FC, a homebuilt Seawind 3000 serial number 57, was a single engine, mid-wing, four place experimentally certificated amphibious aircraft. Each outboard wingtip terminated in a downward curved sponson for stable water operations. The Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D engine was mounted on a pylon that extended forward of the upper third of the large, delta shaped vertical stabilizer, and was equipped with a three-blade, variable pitch Hartzell propeller. The cabin was accessed via a clamshell canopy that opened up and aft on rear hinges. The performance specifications for the Seawind 3000 available on the kit plane's website provided specifications including a clean stall speed of 72 miles per hour (64 knots) (refer to Graphic Image I and attachment SS-I).

According to documentation provided to the FAA and associated with the pilot/builder's "Application for Airworthiness Certificate," the aircraft's total airframe time on November 8, 2002, was logged as 0.0 hours. An acquaintance of the pilot/builder who was also familiar with the ongoing flight testing of the aircraft spoke with him on the morning of November 29th, and was told that the aircraft had accrued approximately 12 hours of flight time. The acquaintance provided a general history of problems he was aware of with the aircraft during the flight testing. Among these were a lack of fuel flow from the right wing tank, a repair of a fuel leak in the right wing root area, a second occasion whereby there was no fuel flow from the right tank, and a loss of power which was restored with the application of rich mixture and application of the fuel boost pump (refer to attachment H-I).

Records provided by Fliteline Services, the operator of a self-service fueling facility at both Paine Field (PAE) and Arlington Municipal airport (AWO), showed that the pilot/builder purchased 100 low lead aviation fuel on five occasions as noted below:

Date: time: quantity: location:

04NOV02 12:35PM 15.00 gal PAE self serve

08NOV02 3:28PM 45.36 gal PAE self serve

12NOV02 2:45PM 30.01 gal PAE self serve

20NOV02 3:13PM