Event ERA21LA102

Factual narrative

On January 11, 2021, at 1230 eastern standard time, an unregistered Kolb Firestar KXP was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Vineland, New Jersey. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. According to a witness, he and the accident pilot flew, in separate airplanes, from the witness’ residence to Vineland-Downstown Airport (28N), Vineland, New Jersey, about 7 miles away. After landing, the accident pilot told the witness that he wanted to fly over a friend’s house in the local area. The accident pilot boarded the airplane, took off from runway 20, and flew a traffic pattern around the airport. The airplane remained in view the entire flight. The airplane turned from a base leg to final at an altitude of 400 to 500 ft, and “seemed to be at normal cruising speed of 80 mph.” While on final, the airplane appeared to be “significantly” to the right of the runway 20 extended centerline, with the wings straight and level. The airplane began a gradual descent, followed by a “steep 45° nose down pitch into the trees.” The airplane appeared to be at “cruising speed” and did not appear to stall. The engine was “operating normally and no indication of sputtering or engine failure of any kind.” Another witness stated that he watched the two airplanes land, and the accident airplane take off shortly thereafter. He stated that the accident airplane flew a “wider than normal” traffic pattern around the airport, but that everything seemed normal until the airplane pitched to about 45° nose-down from a wings-level attitude while on approach. He did not believe that the airplane stalled and stated that the engine sounded like it was running. The first witness, who was the custodian of the airplane reported that he and the pilot had flown their respective airplanes on the previous day, and the witness had flown the accident airplane 3 to 4 times in the previous 6 months. The witness believed that the pilot had a total of 3 to 4 hours of flight experience in the accident airplane. The pilot had inquired about purchasing the accident airplane, which had been in storage for about 20 years. The witness had aided the pilot with repairing the airplane and provided operational instruction over the previous year. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate, his most recent 3rd class medical certificate was issued February 4, 2004. At that time, he reported 300 hours of total flight experience. No pilot logbooks were available for review. The accident airplane was equipped with two seats, a 50-horsepower engine with a 10-gallon fuel capacity, and an empty weight of 325 lbs. The airplane did not meet the requirements of Title 14 CFR Part 103.1 to be operated as an ultralight aircraft. No maintenance logbooks for the airplane were available for review. The airplane came to rest in a near-vertical, nose-down attitude in a wooded area. All major components were present and located within a 60-ft diameter area. Both wings were damaged and separated from the fuselage. The ailerons remained attached to the wings. The fuselage tube was fractured just aft of the cockpit. The control cables to the rudder and elevator remained intact and were continuous from the cockpit controls to their respective control surfaces. The engine was separated from the fuselage and located 10 ft from the main wreckage. Both carburetors were separated from the engine. The fuel shutoff valves for both fuel tanks were open. Fuel was leaking from both tanks, and each tank contained about 2 gallons of green-colored fuel. When the fuel bulb was squeezed, fuel flowed from the carburetor supply fuel lines. According to the Office of Gloucester-Camden-Salem Medical Examiner, Sewell, New Jersey autopsy report, the cause of the pilot’s death was multiple injuries, and the manner of death was accident. Toxicology testing performed for the medical examiner’s office on the pilot’s heart blood detected the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), at 5.4 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL); THC’s inactive metabolite, carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH), at 60 ng/mL; methamphetamine at 830 ng/mL; amphetamine at 90 ng/mL; and hydrocodone at 25 ng/mL. FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory toxicology testing detected THC at 3.1 ng/mL, THC’s active metabolite, 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC, at 0.9 ng/mL; THC-COOH at 31.1 ng/mL; methamphetamine at 708 ng/mL; amphetamine at 73 ng/mL; hydrocodone at 27 ng/mL; hydrocodone’s active metabolite, dihydrocodeine; and zolpidem at 9 ng/mL. These compounds were also detected in the pilot’s lung, muscle, or liver tissue. The pilot was interested in purchasing the accident airplane, which had been abandoned and in storage for about 20 years. In the year preceding the accident, the pilot had worked on repairing the airplane and received some instruction from the airplane’s custodian. The pilot had accrued a total of 3 to 4 hours of flight time in the airplane and had flown it most recently the day before the accident. On the day of the accident, he flew it to a nearby airport along with the accident airplane’s custodian, who flew in a separate airplane. After landing, the pilot advised that he wanted to fly over a friend’s house. The pilot took off and flew a traffic pattern at the airport. Witnesses described that while on final approach to the runway, in a wings-level attitude, with the engine sounding normal, the airplane suddenly entered a steep, nose-down attitude until it impacted trees. The witnesses stated that the airplane was flying at a normal speed and did not stall. Examination of the airplane revealed no pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Although the wings were found separated from the fuselage, the control cables from the cockpit to the rudder and elevator remained intact and continuous from the cockpit to their respective control surfaces, suggesting that the airplane’s pitch control remained intact. The pilot’s autopsy did not reveal any indications of incapacitation. Toxicology was positive for hydrocodone, zolpidem (a sleep aid), methamphetamine, and cannabis. The hydrocodone level detected was within the therapeutic range, the level of zolpidem was subtherapeutic. Both compounds can impair mental and physical performance. The level of methamphetamine was over four times the therapeutic level, which is suggestive of abuse. At higher doses of methamphetamine, risk-taking increases, as does inattention, increased reaction time, and incoordination. The levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its metabolites suggest that either the usage occurred several hours before the accident or that the pilot was a chronic user. THC blood concentrations do not correlate well with levels of impairment. Most behavioral and physiological effects of cannabis use are diminished within 3 to 5 hours after use though some effects can last as long as 24 hours. Usage can lead to slow reaction time, impaired cognitive performance, and increased risk-taking. The pilot was likely impaired by his use of one or more of these drugs; however, his level of impairment and how it may have contributed to the accident could not be determined. Witnesses did not report any unusual behavior by the pilot on the day of the accident, and both flights appeared normal except for the final pattern leg on the accident flight. The toxicology results were not indicative of when the pilot may have used each of the detected drugs, which could have been at different times before or between the flights on the accident day. Depending on when the usage occurred, it is possible that the pilot’s level of impairment significantly affected his ability to control the airplane during the final pattern leg; however, whether the steep descent was a result of the pilot’s impairment, his limited experience in the same make/model, or other reason, could not be determined based on the available information. 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).

• — Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Unknown/Not determined
• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-(general)-Pilot