N62382North American SNJ-2 · 1942

On May 30, 2018, about 1348 eastern daylight time, a North American SNJ-2, N62382, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Farmingdale, New York. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 repositioning flight.

The airplane was one of six North American SNJ-2s operated by the Geico Skytypers. The accident flight was a formation flight to reposition the six airplanes from Republic Airport (FRG), Farmingdale, New York, to Patuxent Naval Air Station (NHK), Patuxent, Maryland, for an upcoming airshow. The pilot of the lead airplane (No. 1) departed and was holding northeast of the airport. He stated that his rear seat passenger watched the accident airplane (No. 6) pass underneath their airplane and enter a climbing, "high-G" turn. The accident airplane subsequently entered a spin that continued until it impacted the ground.

Flight track data showed the airplane depart from runway 14 and turn northeast, climbing to an altitude of about 1,200 ft mean sea level (msl), before turning northwest as it climbed to about 1,300 ft msl. The airplane then turned sharply right about 360° and started losing altitude. The airplane continued to lose altitude as it completed about three more 360° turns before the data ended in the vicinity of the accident site. (See Figure 1).

Figure 1-Accident Flight Track and Accident Site

A flight instructor who was in the traffic pattern for runway 14 at FRG reported that he watched the Nos. 5 and 6 airplanes depart toward the northwest. The instructor stated that he saw the No. 5 airplane initiate a climbing right 180° turn, similar to a chandelle maneuver, from about 800 ft above ground level (agl). He estimated that, throughout the turn, the bank angle of the airplane was about 70° to 80° until it reached about 1,200 ft agl, where it leveled off. He then watched as the No. 6 airplane conducted the same maneuver; however, at the top of the turn, the airplane entered a spin and remained in a constant-rate spin until ground impact. The instructor added that it appeared that the pilot did not attempt to recover from the spin.

A video provided by a witness located near the accident site captured the airplane in a steep, nose-down descent, rotating around its vertical axis until impacting the ground.

The pilot's logbook was not recovered. The pilot had flown for the Skytypers air show team for over 10 years. During May 2018, he flew about 18 hours in the accident airplane and about 3 hours in the other Skytyper SNJ-2 airplanes.

The main wreckage and the wreckage debris were contained within a 50-ft radius. Several trees above and near the accident site were damaged, and limbs and large branches were found throughout the site. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) with the ground was a crater near the engine and propeller assembly. The main wreckage was upright, and the engine and propeller assembly were partially embedded in the crater. The main wreckage was mostly consumed by postimpact fire. All flight control surfaces were found at the accident site. (see Figure 2)

Figure 2-Accident Site

Following recovery of the wreckage from the site, flight control cable continuity was established throughout the airframe. The cabin heater assembly and associated exhaust pipe were removed from the engine. The exhaust pipe was buckled, and wear and openings were noted on the heater assembly. The connected scat tubing exhibited thermal damage. The heater assembly and associated pipe were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for further examination, which revealed cracks along welds at the outboard ends where the interior and exterior walls of the heater assembly join. Weld segments overlapping the as-manufactured welds and welded patches consistent with repair welds were noted in multiple locations on the heater assembly. Preexisting cracks were identified, along with recent ductile overstress fractures as a result of the accident.

The Suffolk County Office of the Medical Examiner, Suffolk County, New York, performed an autopsy of the pilot. The pilot's cause of death was multiple blunt impact injuries. No significant natural disease was identified. No soot was identified in the airways. A toxicology examination conducted in coordination with the autopsy found the pilot's carbon monoxide (CO) level at 10%.

Testing performed by the FAA's Forensic Sciences Laboratory did not identify CO (reporting cut off of 10%) or any other tested-for substances.

CO is an odorless, tasteless gas that is a product of combustion. When inhaled, it preferentially attaches to hemoglobin molecules in blood, inactivating their ability to carry oxygen. Nonsmokers may normally have up to 3% carboxyhemoglobin in their blood; heavy smokers may have levels of 10 to 15%. Symptoms from acute exposures are not generally expected until levels reach above 15%.