NTSB Factual Report

On August 27, 2018, about 1215 central daylight time, an amphibious Airtime Aircraft Inc. Cygnet, N186AT, operated by the pilot/owner, collided with the water near Pensacola, Florida. The student pilot was fatally injured. The weight-shift control aircraft was substantially damaged. The solo-instructional flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that departed the southern coast of Santa Rosa Sound, near Pensacola Beach, about 1200.

The flight instructor witnessed the accident and reported that he was giving the pilot instruction in preparation for his first solo flight. During their dual instruction, they performed about 25 touch-and-go landings in the water of Santa Rosa Sound, an inland waterway north of Pensacola Beach. According to the instructor, the pilot was flying "perfectly" and was ready for his first solo flight. They landed near the shore, and he got out of the aircraft and reviewed some final items with the pilot before he took off; his flight was to consist of several left rectangular patterns and subsequent water landings and takeoffs. The instructor watched as the pilot departed westbound, perpendicular to the shore, and stated the takeoff and climb appeared normal. The engine power settings appeared normal, but as the aircraft reached about 400 ft, he noticed the left wing drop about 35 degrees followed by a quick right wing drop to about 60 degrees before tuning back left and "spiraling steeply down." As the aircraft approached the water, it started to level off immediately before impact.

Another witness, who watched the instructional flight from his boat, stated the aircraft made repeated ovals over the water. A short time later, he anchored his boat close to shore, got out and was walking along the shoreline when he noticed the same aircraft was flying perpendicular to the shore several hundred feet up. He stated it appeared to be flying straight and level when he saw the left and right-wings drop, followed by a left turn and descent straight down; it made 3 revolutions, then briefly looked like it was leveling off before impacting the water.

Examination of the wreckage revealed that the left-wing strut and left leading edge tube was fractured and bent in several locations, the fuselage was deformed and the left float was split open. The engine remained attached to the fuselage and all three propeller blades were broken off near the propeller hub. All structural components and control cables were accounted for during the examination. The haul back cable remained attached and all tension wires and control wires were mounted in their respective locations. The control bar remained intact and connected to the keel post.

The aircraft was recovered from the accident site and retained for additional examination.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot, a 53-year-old male, held a student pilot certificate and a valid drivers license. No pilot logbooks were recovered.

According to FAA records, the airplane was issued a special airworthiness certificate in the light sport category on June 1, 2016. It was a two-place, weight-shift control aircraft equipped with a Rotax 912-ULS, 100 horsepower engine driving a three-bladed propeller in a pusher configuration. It had two floats for water operations and retractable tricycle landing gear for land operations. The tachometer time indicated the aircraft had accumulated 174.4 total hours of operation. No airplane logbooks were recovered.

The weather conditions reported at Pensacola Naval Air Station/Forrest Sherman Field (NPA)

Pensacola, Florida, 10-miles west of the of the accident site, at 1219, included wind from 140° at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 3,200 ft and 4,800 ft, broken clouds at 25,000 ft, temperature 32° C, dew point 22° C, and an altimeter setting of 30.11 inches of mercury.