Bowers FLYBABY — Milton, FL

What happened

The pilot was flying the experimental, amateur-built airplane to a nearby airport to conduct touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. Witnesses near the accident site heard the airplane's engine power increasing and decreasing. One witness stated that, about 100 ft above ground level, the airplane's wings started to rock back and forth, then the airplane entered a roll to the left, followed by a steep uncontrolled descent until it impacted with trees and terrain.

Postaccident examination of the airplane, engine, and fuel system revealed no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation; however, witness reports of repeated fluctuations in power settings, combined with a lack of rotational damage to the propeller, suggest that the engine may have experienced a loss of power. Although conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power settings, the airplane was likely en route and operating at a higher power setting when the engine began to experience a loss of power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence. The accident site was located in an area of numerous fields that would have allowed for a forced landing; whether the pilot was attempting to maneuver to one of these fields could not be determined. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall/spin at low altitude.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.