Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Port Canaveral, Florida 32920
Saturday, April 28, 2012 14:10 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The purpose of the single-pilot flight was for the pilot to photograph boats from a low altitude about 3 miles offshore. Witnesses who saw the airplane prior to the accident reported that it was circling about 15 to 20 feet above the water and appeared to be taking photographs. The pilot reported that, at the conclusion of the flight, he leveled the airplane at an altitude of 100 feet and felt the elevator control bind as if “something was stuck.” The pilot was unable to regain elevator control, and the airplane contacted the water in a wings-level attitude and sank. The airplane was located in the water and recovered about 10 days later and was subsequently examined. The seat pan panel and the dust boot at the base of the pilot's control stick were removed, and a 6-inch long, plastic, spring-loaded clamp and a leather glove were discovered between the tube seat structure and the control column bearing. These items would have restricted the movement of the control column, which, in turn, would have affected the elevator movement. The airplane’s maintenance history could not be determined, as the pilot was unable to furnish the maintenance records after the accident. Therefore, it could not be determined when the pilot/owner, or other maintenance personnel, had the opportunity to close the clamp and glove beneath the seat adjacent to the flight control tubes and bearings.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Impingement of the elevator control by foreign objects (clamp, glove) left in the flight control path by the pilot/owner or maintenance personnel.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/28/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1410 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Port Canaveral |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32920 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 282017N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0804104W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1355 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 200 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | COF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 8 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 9000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.11 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31005 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern CROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 4 2013 1:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N77LR |
| NTSB Number | ERA12LA307 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | RICE LEO B |
| Aircraft Model | KITFOX SERIES 5 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S9707-0217 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1148 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LURCOTT WILLIAM H |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | FLAGLER BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32136-3429 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | LURCOTT WILLIAM H |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | FLAGLER BEACH |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32136-3429 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | COI |
| Departure City | Merritt Island |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | COI |
| Destination City | Merritt Island |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 6 2013 7:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |