# NTSB WPR18LA132: Cosmos Phase III, N6466, Fernandina Beach, FL, May 1, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 1, 2018, 08:45 local (12:45 UTC) - Place: Fernandina Beach, FL - Coordinates: 30.611944, -81.461112 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.6119&lon=-81.4611&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 3, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 97151 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR18LA132 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/97151/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=97151 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18LA132 ## Probable cause The student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and the flight instructor’s failure to adequately monitor the student pilot before aircraft control was lost at a low altitude. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cosmos PHASE III, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05901YT), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535): Personnel issues › Psychological · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cosmos PHASE III, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md?model=05901YT), [All aircraft, 200 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Cosmos PHASE III, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05901YT), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cosmos PHASE III, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05901YT), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor reported that, during the initial climb for the instructional flight in the weight-shift-control trike, the student pilot was manipulating the controls. About 700 ft above ground level, the aircraft suddenly entered a "hard" left bank. The flight instructor took control of the aircraft but was unable to recover control before the aircraft impacted terrain in a nose-down attitude, which resulted in substantial damage. The flight instructor did not recall if there was a mechanical malfunction or failure but reported that the student pilot was known to freeze on the controls and the student could have been fighting him. It is likely that the flight instructor was not adequately monitoring the student pilot when the aircraft entered the excessive turn and that, due to the low altitude, he did not have sufficient time to recover control before the collision. ## Factual narrative On May 1, 2018, about 0845 eastern daylight time, a weight-shift-control Cosmos Phase III, N6466, sustained substantial damage after it impacted terrain shortly after departure from Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport (FHB), Fernandina Beach, Florida. The flight instructor sustained serious injuries, and the student pilot was not injured. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the flight instructor as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated at 0830 from FHB. In a telephone interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the flight instructor reported that the student pilot was manipulating the controls and flying the aircraft. During the initial climb, at about 700 ft above ground level, the airplane suddenly entered a "hard" left bank. The flight instructor took control of the aircraft, however, was unable to recover and the aircraft impacted terrain in a nose down attitude. The flight instructor does not recall if there was a mechanical anomaly, but reported that the student pilot was known to freeze on the controls and he could have been fighting him. The student did not provide a statement as to the circumstances of the accident. Neither the flight instructor nor the student pilot completed or submitted the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1 to the investigator in charge. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6466](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6466-2019-09-06), registration cancelled 2019-09-06, S/N 1117, built 2003 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: COSMOS PHASE III (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [Cosmos PHASE III](https://openairdocs.org/model/cosmos-phase-iii) (registry code 05901YT) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 912S series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912s-series) (registry code 55570, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Weight-shift - Serial number: 1117 - Year built: 2003 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: FHB, Fernandina Beach, FL - Destination: FHB, Fernandina Beach, FL - Airport: FHB, Fernandina Beach Muni, runway 04, 5,301 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 100° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 30.23 inHg - Observed at: KFHB ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20180501004429A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180501004429A), May 1, 2018: Cosmos PHASE III, Fernandina Beac, FL, Minor damage. Pilot stated that the second pilot was being given instructional training and that he (second pilot) was on the controls during takeoff. At about 700 feet the… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 26, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=97151. 333 KB in all. - Record of Conversation (item 1, .PDF, 76 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40481632&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation-Master.PDF - Photo (item 2, .PDF, 257 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40481633&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.