Monday, December 14, 2020

Kolb FireStar II, N7094T: Accident occurred December 11, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. 

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Greensboro, North Carolina
Location: Durham, NC
Accident Number: ERA21LA075
Date & Time: December 11, 2020, 13:00 Local 
Registration: N7094T
Aircraft: Kolb Firestar
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On December 11, 2020, about 1300 eastern standard time, a Kolb Firestar II, N7094T was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Durham, North Carolina. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that after an uneventful takeoff and climb out, and about 20 minutes into the flight, the airplane began to experience a loss of engine power. The airplane was about 500 ft above ground level; the pilot observed the engine monitoring system and noted no indications of an engine problem. The pilot’s attempts to increase engine power were unsuccessful, and the airplane continued to lose altitude.

The pilot subsequently elected to attempt a forced landing to a lake about 3 nautical miles from the departure airport. During the landing flare, the wheels struck the water surface, the airplane immediately flipped forward and came to rest upside down and partially submerged. The pilot extricated himself and swam to the surface where he was rescued by an individual on a personal watercraft.

The airplane’s tail separated about 2 ft aft of the fuel tank and the leading outboard edges of both wings were crushed and torn open. The airplane remained submerged until the following day, when it was recovered and transported to the pilot’s hangar, where it was retained for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Kolb 
Registration: N7094T
Model/Series: Firestar II 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: RDU,435 ft msl 
Observation Time: 13:51 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 3 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 17.8°C /8.9°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 25000 ft AGL
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 3 knots / ,
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.18 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Durham, NC (8NC8)
Destination: Durham, NC

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 36.024094,-78.716475 (est)

No comments:

Post a Comment