Tuesday, June 14, 2016

NTSB Report: an experimental amateur-built Storch FI-156 airplane, N429BB, crashed in a wooded area near Fordsville, Kentucky killing the pilot

NTSB Identification: ERA16LA201

14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, May 30, 2016 in Fordsville, KY
Aircraft: CRIQUET AVIATION BOGOTA COLUMB STORCH FI-156, registration: N429BB
Injuries: 1 Fatal.


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. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On May 30, 2016, at an unknown time, an experimental amateur-built Storch FI-156 airplane, N429BB, crashed in a wooded area near Fordsville, Kentucky. The private pilot, the sole occupant was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed by impact and a postcrash fire. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) as a Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed on that day, and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight originated about 1130 central daylight time, from Rough River State Park Airport (2I3), Falls of Rough, Kentucky.

According to a friend of the accident pilot, since purchasing the airplane 2 days prior, the pilot flew it on several flights, including a flight earlier in the day from Owensboro-Daviess County Airport (OWB), Owensboro, Kentucky to 2I3, landing there about 0945. After landing, he and the pilot ate at a local restaurant and then prepared to depart from 2I3. The friend reported hearing an engine run-up before takeoff, and noted that the magneto drops were normal and the engine was "running strong." After takeoff he watched as the pilot turned to a heading of 315 degrees (normal) and lost sight of the airplane when it was about 1.5 miles away.

The pilot's friend indicated that the pilot might have intended to fly to a nearby ultralight airstrip, or return to OWB. The pilot's friend then departed 2I3 in his airplane, and attempted to contact the pilot via radio, but the pilot did not reply to any of his transmissions. He proceeded to the Ohio County Airport (JQD), Hartford, Kentucky and landed uneventfully. He later contacted law enforcement because the pilot had not returned to OWB, and met with law enforcement later that evening. The following day he performed an air search himself but did not locate the wreckage. Personnel of the Civil Air Patrol were also involved in a search for the missing airplane; the wreckage was located on the afternoon of June 1st.  


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