N285SW

On December 30, 2021, about 1514 central standard time, a J&J Ultralights Seawing, N285SW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Golden, Missouri. The noncertificated pilot sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

A video of the accident showed that, after takeoff, the aircraft pitched up and banked left, then transitioned into a steep dive. After recovery toward level flight, the aircraft pitched up and banked left again. While in the second left turn, the aircraft entered a steep dive and impacted a house, which resulted in damage to both wings, fuselage and empennage.

Engine noise was observed throughout the video until ground impact. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot’s certificate was revoked on January 23, 2020, for his failure to report two suspensions of his driver’s license and a conviction for unlawful alcohol concentration.

The pilot purchased the accident aircraft about 6 months before the accident, and he completed two introductory flights in a weight-shift control (WSC) aircraft that handled substantially differently than the accident aircraft. Family members of the pilot reported that the accident flight was the pilot’s first flight in the accident aircraft.

The previous owner stated that the flight characteristics of the accident aircraft included a more abrupt stall than other WSC aircraft and a small "window" between cruise and stall speeds. He described the stall as a "parachute straight forward" type of maneuver that required a substantial amount of altitude for recovery.

Toxicology testing performed by the Federal Aviation Administration Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component in cannabis, at 3.4 ng/ml in cavity blood and 2.3 ng/ml in urine; its inactive metabolite, carboxy-delta-9-THC, at 38.3 ng/ml in cavity blood and 321.4 ng/ml in urine; and its active metabolite, 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC, was inconclusive in cavity blood and at 23.7 ng/ml in urine.