N767FS

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 6, 2019, at 1312 eastern daylight time, a Vans Aircraft Inc. RV-12 airplane, N767FS, was destroyed when it impacted terrain in Lady Lake, Florida. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to two pilots and one pilot/mechanic who were scheduled to practice a formation flight with the accident pilot, the accident pilot stated that he was unable to start his airplane's engine before the flight. The three pilots flew for about 45 minutes and returned to Love Field Airport (97FL), Weirsdale, Florida, to debrief. The accident pilot joined them at the debrief and stated that he had likely flooded his engine, and the group went to his hangar to assist him. After cleaning and reinserting some spark plugs, the engine started on the first attempt. The mechanic asked the pilot to perform an ignition check and a full static rpm check, and the engine responded appropriately. One of the group noted that the pilot's response to this request seemed unusually slow, and it concerned him since he believed he had been in the heat for at least an hour. The mechanic then asked the pilot to turn off the engine, then restart it. After a normal engine start, the pilot stated that he would fly the airplane around the airport traffic pattern once. The group left him to replace the engine cowling, which they estimated took 30 minutes. One of the pilots observed the airplane taxi and take off and noted that the engine "sounded good" as the airplane departed runway 27 and began a left turn. The mechanic reported that he heard the accident pilot perform an engine run-up before takeoff.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that the airplane departed runway 27 and climbed to an altitude of about 1,000 ft above ground level in an enlarged left traffic pattern. Near the end of the downwind leg, the data indicated a brief 50-ft climb followed by a rapid descent to the ground, while the flight path remained consistent on a downwind leg for runway 27.

PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot was operating under the provisions of BasicMed and his most recent physical examination was completed on June 1, 2017. On a 2018 aviation insurance application, the pilot reported 10,075 total hours of flight experience, with 90 hours in the accident airplane make and model. Review of his logbook revealed that he had accrued 12.2 hours in the accident airplane since his most recent flight review on November 8, 2017.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe airplane was built from a kit manufactured by Van's Aircraft Inc. and was issued an experimental light sport airworthiness certificate on August 10, 2010. FAA records indicated that the pilot purchased the airplane in 2013. The most recent condition inspection was completed on July 1, 2019, at which time the airplane had accrued 123.8 total hours.

The airplane was equipped with a forward-hinged, tip-up canopy with a locking mechanism. The mechanism was a handle attached near the center and at the rear of the canopy frame. Once closed, the handle was turned 90° so that a tang on the end of the handle extended under the adjacent fuselage roll bar frame, where the tang was retained under a latch block. This mechanism was the original latch design. When the canopy was opened, it moved up and forward (toward the front of the airplane) about 90° vertical.

Witnesses stated that the canopy handle latch had become bent, and the pilot had recently purchased and installed a new latch. Van's Aircraft records show that the pilot purchased the new latch on August 1, 2019.

The kit manufacturer supplied an excerpt from the Pilot’s Operating Handbook from the closest available revision to the one sent with the kit to the builder. The handbook's before takeoff checklist, in part, stated, "Canopy – CHECK Latched."

A canopy-open warning system was developed by the kit manufacturer; however, the warning system was not compatible with the electronic flight instrument system in the accident airplane and was not installed on the accident airplane.

AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe airplane was built from a kit manufactured by Van's Aircraft Inc. and was issued an experimental light sport airworthiness certificate on August 10, 2010. FAA records indicated that the pilot purchased the airplane in 2013. The most recent condition inspection was completed on July 1, 2019, at which time the airplane had accrued 123.8 total hours.

The airplane was equipped with a forward-hinged, tip-up canopy with a locking mechanism. The mechanism was a handle attached near the center and at the rear of the canopy frame. Once closed, the handle was turned 90° so that a tang on the end of the handle extended under the adjacent fuselage roll bar frame, where the tang was retained under a latch block. This mechanism was the original latch design. When the canopy was opened, it moved up and forward (toward the front of the airplane) about 90° vertical.

Witnesses stated that the canopy handle latch had become bent, and the pilot had recently purchased and installed a new latch. Van's Aircraft records show that the pilot purchased the new latch on August 1, 2019.

The kit manufacturer supplied an excerpt from the Pilot’s Operating Handbook from the closest available revision to the one sent with the kit to the builder. The handbook's before takeoff checklist, in part, stated, "Canopy – CHECK Latched."

A canopy-open warning system was developed by the kit manufacturer; however, the warning system was not compatible with the electronic flight instrument system in the accident airplane and was not installed on the accident airplane.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe airplane impacted a grass field in a near-vertical, nose down attitude about 1.8 nautical miles and 134° from the departure end of runway 27. All major components of the airplane were present at the accident site. The airplane was significantly fragmented and partially consumed by a postcrash fire. Two linear ground scars, consistent with the length of each wing, radiated from the center of the wreckage. The debris field extended about 120 ft from the main wreckage on a heading of about 80° and was surrounded by an area of burned grass about 200 ft long by 150 ft wide.

The engine and cockpit area were found in an impact crater about 2 ft deep. Both wings were crushed aft from the leading edge against the main spar, and from the trailing edge forward to the main spar. The right flaperon was impact and fire damaged, and the inboard half was separated from the wing. The left flaperon was impact and fire damaged and completely separated from the wing. The fuselage forward of the stabilator was severely fragmented and partially fire damaged. The stabilator, vertical stabilizer, and rudder were separated from the aft fuselage. The stabilator was largely intact, with most of the fire and impact damage near its center. The stabilator spar was fractured at midspan. The pitch trim tab remained attached to the stabilator; however, the input control rod and attachment bracket were fractured and separated from the trim tab. The rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer; it was damaged and the lower 4 inches of the trailing edge was bent toward the right. Flight control continuity was established from the stabilator and the rudder from the control surface to the cockpit controls. Flaperon control continuity could not be established due to impact and fire damage. Control push-pull rod ends remained attached at the main cockpit control tube, and on the flaperon input control tubes. The fuel selector valve was not located. The electric fuel boost pump was sooted and thermally damaged. The nose landing gear was separated from the airplane and found near the wing ground scars. The roll bar and canopy bow were located about 12 ft apart.

The propeller hub separated from the engine, and both blades separated from the hub. The engine would not rotate by hand. A borescope inspection of all four cylinders revealed normal coloration and condition of the piston tops, cylinder walls, and valves. All rocker arms and valve spring assemblies remained intact and were undamaged. The gascolator was breached, empty of fuel, and contained a small amount of debris in the filter screen. The inside of the gascolator bowl was sooted. Both carburetors were thermally damaged and separated from the engine and found hanging by their control cables. Each throttle control cable remained attached to its respective control arm on the carburetor. Both carburetor bowls were thermally destroyed, and the floats were not present. Both slides remained in place but were unable to move. The sparkplug electrodes and insulators appeared normal and were clean, except for the No. 2 top spark plug, which had white deposits on the bottom of the electrode. The Nos. 1 and 3 bottom sparkplugs were slightly wet with oil. None of the intake or exhaust manifold tubing remained attached to the intake and exhaust ports of the engine. The muffler remained partially attached and the springs were in place, with the case, inlet and exit tubes partially damaged. The engine driven fuel pump remained attached to the engine case; however, the fittings were separated, and the ports were partially fractured. The pump was removed and could be rotated by hand with some binding. A small amount of debris was found inside the pump, primarily on the side exposed by the fractured fitting port.

Examination of the elevator trim actuator control assembly at the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, D.C., revealed that fracture surfaces on the control rod were on slant angles consistent with ductile overstress fracture, and the rod was deformed adjacent to the fracture co...