Amateur-built STEEN SKYBOLT N849CA accident near Carrollton, Georgia

Probable cause

An in-flight loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examinations or based on the available evidence.

NTSB analysis

The pilot, who was the airplane owner, was on a local, pleasure flight. Witnesses observed the airplane flying low followed by a rapid pitch down or loss of airplane control. The airplane struck a tree about 60 ft above the ground and continued another 46 ft until it struck the ground. Most of the wreckage was consumed in a postaccident fire.

Primary flight control continuity was confirmed from the control surfaces to the cockpit controls. All of the airplane's primary structural components were accounted for within the wreckage debris field. Several tree branches with smooth, angular cuts, indicative of contact with a propeller under power, were observed within the wreckage debris field. A disassembly and examination of the engine revealed no evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or failure. A cable attachment bracket for the elevator trim tab was found fractured; however, examination of the fracture surface revealed overstress signatures, and no evidence of a preexisting anomaly was found. Thus, the fracture likely occurred during the impact sequence.

The pilot, who had owned the airplane for about 15 years, only flew it occasionally, and his last logged flight in the accident airplane was more than 1 year before the accident flight. The pilot's autopsy and toxicology reports revealed no evidence of incapacitation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA14FA339 for the full record.