Event ERA18LA184

Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 5, 2018, about 1345 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Swearingen SX-300, N42SX, was destroyed during a runway excursion while landing at Spruce Creek Airport (7FL6), Daytona Beach, Florida. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was owned by the pilot who was operating it as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from Flagler Executive Airport (FIN), Palm Coast, Florida. The passenger stated that he and the pilot flew to FIN about 1130 for lunch. They purchased fuel at FIN and departed for 7FL6 about 1330. The passenger stated that the return flight was normal, and that, during the approach for landing, he noted that the wing flaps were down and three green landing gear lights were illuminated in the cockpit. He added that the airspeed indicator showed 90 knots while on final approach. Just before landing, he heard the angle of attack indicator alarm and "knew they stalled the airplane." The airplane landed hard and he heard a loud pop and felt the left main landing gear fracture. He told the pilot that the left main landing gear had broken, and the pilot initially applied full power to take off again; however, he then reduced the throttle to idle and applied full braking. The airplane slid off the left side of the runway and collided with the precision approach path indicator lights. The airplane continued to slide across the grass until the right wing dug into the ground; the airplane then flipped over and caught fire. Both occupants tried to open the canopy, but it was jammed. The passenger then tried to kick out the canopy but could not break the glass. Several bystanders ran to the airplane, helped open the canopy, and helped the two occupants egress. The passenger stated that there were no mechanical defects with the airplane before the accident. A witness stated that he saw the airplane "touch down." He was not sure if it was the initial landing or after it had bounced once. He further stated that the airplane's left main landing gear was "trailing behind," and after it landed, the airplane slid off the left side of the runway, spun around, and caught fire. An airport security video showed the airplane after it touched down on the runway. The video showed the airplane sliding down the runway with the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid off the left side of the runway, cartwheeled before coming to rest upright, and subsequently caught fire. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land, instrument airplane, and glider. He held a third-class medical certificate, issued July 3, 2018. At the time of the medical examination, the pilot reported 1,650 total hours of flight experience. His pilot logbook was not recovered. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe two seat, low-wing, retractable gear airplane was built in 1993. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-540-L1C5, 300-horsepower engine, equipped with a three-bladed Hartzell propeller. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONAt 1350, the recorded weather at New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport, located 5 miles southeast of the accident site, included wind from 120° at 10 knots; 10 statute miles visibility; temperature 30°C; dew point 24°C; altimeter 30.17 inches of mercury. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe two seat, low-wing, retractable gear airplane was built in 1993. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-540-L1C5, 300-horsepower engine, equipped with a three-bladed Hartzell propeller. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe wreckage was located about midfield and 60 ft from the left side of runway 6 and was consumed by a postcrash fire. The main wreckage came to rest upright on a heading of 320°. The instrument panel was consumed by fire and no readable instruments were recovered. Both wings separated from the fuselage; the left wing was located beside the fuselage with about 4 ft of the inboard section remaining. The rest of the wing was consumed by fire. The right wing was located under the fuselage and completely consumed by fire. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene. Control cable continuity was confirmed. The engine remained attached to the airframe. The engine, propeller, and accessories were fire-damaged. The spinner dome was melted on one side. The top spark plugs were removed, and the propeller was rotated by hand. Thumb compression was established on all cylinders. Valve train continuity was established by visual confirmation of rocker arm movement and movement of the accessory gears. A lighted borescope was used to observe the pistons and valves inside the cylinders; no anomalies were noted. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATIONAn autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Office of the Medical Examiner, Orlando, Florida. The report listed the cause of death as complications of 50.5% total body surface area burns and inhalation injury. The pilot succumbed to his injuries in the hospital 1 week after the accident and toxicology testing was not performed. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were landing at the conclusion of a personal flight. The passenger stated that, during the landing approach, he noted that the wing flaps were down, and three green landing gear lights were illuminated; the airspeed was about 90 knots on final approach. Just before landing, he heard the angle of attack indicator alarm and knew that the airplane had stalled. The airplane landed hard and the left main landing gear collapsed. The pilot initially applied full power to take off again; however, he then reduced the throttle to idle and applied full braking. The airplane slid off the left side of the runway and collided with the precision approach path indicator lights. The airplane continued across the grass until the right wing dug into the ground; it then cartwheeled, came to rest upright, and caught fire. Bystanders assisted the pilot and passenger in opening the canopy and egressing the airplane; the pilot succumbed to burn injuries about one week after the accident. The passenger stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane, and examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing flare, which resulted in exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall. The subsequent hard landing resulted in a landing gear collapse and loss of directional control. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C