Point Venture, TX, USA
N38AT
SEA & SKY INC KRUCKER CYGNET
The pilot’s wife, who witnessed the accident flight, reported that he trailered the aircraft to a nearby marina, set up the aircraft, and took off. He flew westbound about 150 ft above the water and made several turns without issue. Another witness reported that the engine sounded “normal” and “steady” when the aircraft pitched up steeply. It kept climbing and this witness thought the pilot was conducting an aerobatic maneuver. The nose of the aircraft dropped, and the aircraft descended into the water. Neither witness reported any visual anomalies with the aircraft. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operations. Varying coastlines, such as the peninsula where the accident flight was conducted, can also affect local wind conditions by creating areas of convergence. Updrafts, downdrafts, and thermals can cause the nose of a weight-shift-control aircraft to raise and lower during flight. Since the pilot was reportedly accustomed to flying over the ocean, it is possible the local wind conditions affected the aircraft in ways he did not expect. It was likely in response to these wind conditions that the pilot abruptly pitched the aircraft that resulted in a nose-high attitude and subsequent stall at a low altitude, which did not allow for recovery before the aircraft impacted the water.
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 6, 2021, about 1909 central daylight time, a weight-shift control Sea and Sky Cygnet, N38AT, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Point Venture, Texas. The pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot’s wife, who witnessed the accident flight, reported that the pilot trailered the aircraft to a nearby marina on Lake Travis, set up the aircraft, and took off from the marina. He flew westbound about 150 ft above the water and made several turns without issue. Another witness reported that the engine sounded “normal” and “steady” when she observed the aircraft pitched up steeply. She reported thinking the pilot was doing an aerobatic maneuver because the aircraft kept climbing; however, the nose of the aircraft dropped, and it descended rapidly. The aircraft impacted the water in a nose-low attitude and sunk. Neither witness noted any visual anomalies with the aircraft. Video of the accident showed the aircraft flying level above the water. The nose and left wing dropped, and the aircraft descended rapidly. It impacted the water left wing low. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe wife of the pilot reported that the pilot had been flying for 25 years in various airplanes. He purchased the accident aircraft in July 2021 and flew it with two different flight instructors until August 2021, when he moved the aircraft to Texas. He flew the accident aircraft about two weekends each month, conducting several flights during those weekends. Most of the pilot’s flights were over the ocean; however, he has flown over Lake Travis a few times. She mentioned that the wind at Lake Travis is very different than over the ocean and the water level changes quite a bit at different times of the year. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Weight-Shift Control Aircraft Flying Handbook states “… typically updrafts or thermals raise the nose of the aircraft and downdrafts at the edge of thermals lower the nose of the aircraft.” It further states “…an additional caution for raising the nose and decreasing the speed is that raising the nose too high could stall the aircraft.” METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONThere were no large weather systems in the vicinity of the accident at the time of the accident. Lake Travis is a very wide meandering river surrounded by terrain that can cause several areas of varying local wind circulations. According to the FAA Advisory Circular titled, “Aviation Weather”: Local winds are small-scale wind field systems driven by diurnal heating or cooling of the ground. Air temperature differences develop over adjacent surfaces and air rises over the warmer surface and sinks over cooler surface. Low-level pressure gradients develop with higher pressure over the cooler, denser air, and lower pressure over the warmer, less dense air. Low-level winds develop and generally blow from high-pressure to low-pressure. Varying coastlines, such as a peninsula, also affect local winds by creating areas of convergence. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Weight-Shift Control Aircraft Flying Handbook states “… typically updrafts or thermals raise the nose of the aircraft and downdrafts at the edge of thermals lower the nose of the aircraft.” It further states “…an additional caution for raising the nose and decreasing the speed is that raising the nose too high could stall the aircraft.” WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe aircraft impacted Lake Travis about 200 yards southwest of Point Venture peninsula and sank in about 30 ft of water. The wing was observed bent forward in front of the aircraft. The aircraft was located and recovered to a nearby boat launch. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine by a FAA inspector did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operations. The carriage mast was bent down forward of the engine and came to rest slightly left of its centerline. The keel remained secured at the carriage mast and was angled downward. The nose plate of the wing, along with the left side of the control frame, all came to rest outside of the left float. Control continuity was established throughout; the control frame remained intact, and the flying struts and cables remained secured. The wing leading edge and cross bar tubes remained secured at their center sleeves and were mostly intact. The sail was no longer connected to the keel, however, it remained secured at the leading-edge tubes. There were no obvious visual anomalies with the engine, and no fluids were leaking. The three composite propeller blades sustained damage, and red score marks were noted on the blade tips. Corresponding score marks were noted on the left float and the metal plate underneath the engine. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATIONThe Travis County Medical Examiner located in Austin, Texas, performed an autopsy of the pilot. The pilot’s cause of death was blunt force injuries in association with drowning. The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicological testing on specimens from the pilot with positive results for ketamine in the blood and urine, which was administered by medical personnel after the accident occurred.
The pilot’s abrupt pitch up maneuver in response to the localized wind conditions which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude and subsequent impact with water.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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