N702DP

On December 6, 2024, about 2004 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Vans Aircraft Inc RV-12IS, N702DP, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Homosassa, Florida. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

A preliminary review of Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed the accident airplane departed Falcon Field Airport (FFC), Atlanta, Georgia, around 1442, and landed at the George T. Lewis Airport (CDK), Cedar Key, Florida, about 1640, a 1 hr. and 58 minute flight.

According to an airport employee at CDK, after the airplane landed, she met the pilot and drove him to a nearby restaurant. She later picked the pilot up and took him back to his airplane. The pilot told the employee that he was flying back to Atlanta. The pilot did not purchase fuel at CDK.

The pilot departed CDK about 1752. The pilot did not file a flight plan and was not in contact with air traffic control. The airplane climbed to about 4,300 ft mean sea level (msl), on a north-westerly ground track toward Atlanta before it descended to 2,300 ft msl and made a right turn to the east-southeast then to the southeast. The airplane flew along the coastline before it maneuvered out over the water, then continued back on a south - southeasterly track toward Tampa, Florida. By the time the airplane was west of Tampa, it had descended to 1,500 ft msl. It then made a right turn toward the north-northeast. As the airplane headed north, it descended to 1,000 ft msl. About 2002, the airplane turned right and made several climbing and descending left and righthand turns west of U.S. Highway 98. The airplane then turned north and entered a shallow, descending right turn toward the highway before the data ended at 2004. The entire flight was about 2 hrs. and 12 minutes in duration.

The airplane impacted a set of approximately 50-ft-tall power lines that ran perpendicular and west of the highway. The airplane came to rest inverted beneath the powerlines and there was no postimpact fire. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site.

According to first responders, no fuel was observed leaking from the airplane nor was there an odor of fuel at the accident site.

The airplane wreckage was recovered to a salvage facility and retained for further examination.

The weather conditions reported at Crystal River Airport (CGC), Crystal River, Florida, about 3 miles north of the accident site, at 2055 included wind from 010 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, a temperature of 10° degrees C, a dewpoint of 5° degrees C, and a barometric altimeter setting of 30.25 inHg. Sunset was at 1734.