STOL UC-1 Twin Bee # 023

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AIRCRAFT DATA

Ricci Rowe grew up in Central Florida, attended the  University of Florida and currently flies for Southwest Airlines where he is a Senior Captian and Check-airman.  Ricci's involvement in aviation started with his first airplane ride at 6mos of age in a Cessna 195 (N1TB) that was purchased new by family friend Tommy Bartlett.  Ricci now owns this plane and still flies it regularly.

As a young man Ricci skied in the famous Tommy Bartlett Water Ski Show in Wisconsin.  Learning to fly at an young age in the Canadian bush he developed a love for the adventures of seaplane flying.  Flying a single engine Seabee to places like I-Falls, Kenora, Churchill, York Factory and Camp Manateau.

Starting in 2004 with the purchase of the Twin Bee, Ricci started a venture to share his love of seaplane flying with others.   Successfully operating at Jack Brown's Seaplane Base since 2004 it has become too busy for the facilities at Brown's and is now moving to Lake Wales, FL (X07)  where devoted classroom and ramp space is available.  Our relationship remains great with Jack Brown's and check-rides will still be administered by the Brown Brothers.

Operated by:
MES Rating.com
420 Bartow Municipal Airport
Bartow, FL 33830-8729
USA
Tel: 863-241-1442
www.mesrating.com

Eric Weaver
1724 S. Highland Park Drive
Lake Wales, FL  33898
Tel: 863-241-1442

Tel: 352-508-1800
E-mail: info@mesrating.com
Web: www.mesrating.com 

Sadly, The Twin Bee Website have received several messages informing that Twin Bee #023, N65NE, crashed in Florida, USA, on Saturday, February 23, 2019. 

Awaiting first official NTSB Accident Synopsis, news media report that the Twin Bee took off from Winter Haven's Gilbert Airport (KGIF), Polk County, Florida, for a training flight. At 12:45 PM, shortly after take off the aircraft apparently lost engine power and crashed into the roof of a house on 2735 Idylridge Drive, just south of airport. Photos suggest that the aircraft made an almost vertical impact into the house.

Flight instructor James Wagner (64) was killed. Student pilot Timothy Sheehy (33), from Montana, survived with minor injuries. A young resident of the house, Carmelle Ngalamulume (17), also suffered minor injuries.

More information will be published when NTSB Preliminary Report is available.

NTSB Identification: ERA19FA106

On February 23, 2019, about 1243 eastern standard time, a STOL Aircraft Corp UC-1 amphibious airplane, N65NE, impacted a residence shortly after takeoff from Winter Haven Regional Airport (GIF), Winter Haven, Florida. The flight instructor was fatally injured, the commercial pilot receiving instruction sustained minor injuries, and there was one serious ground injury. The airplane was owned by ESP Aviation LLC and privately operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight which departed at 1239.

According to the commercial pilot receiving instruction (the pilot), he and a colleague were receiving initial airplane multiengine sea training from the flight instructor in the accident airplane. The accident flight was the third flight of the day.

According to the pilot, the instructor advised him before takeoff that he would introduce a simulated engine failure at some point during takeoff or climbout. Shortly after takeoff from runway 23, about 200-300 ft above ground level (AGL), the instructor reduced the throttle on the left engine and the left engine stopped producing power, and the propeller feathered. They identified the failed engine, the instructor took over the flight controls, and selected a forced landing site.

During the descent, the flight crew's engine restart procedures were unsuccessful and they determined that the airplane would not reach the selected forced landing site. The instructor then chose a lake to the airplane's left as an alternate site. During the left descending turn, the airplane slowed, the left wing dropped, and the airplane impacted a house, seriously injuring one of its occupants.

A witness in a fuel truck at GIF stated she watched the airplane fly overhead. She saw both propellers rotating and watched as the left propeller stopped rotating. The witness said she then watched as the airplane "sank" in a descending left turn until it disappeared from view.

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, airplane single-engine sea, and instrument airplane He held a flight instructor certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued October 24, 2017. He reported 820 total hours of flight experience on that date.

The flight instructor held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multiengine land, and single- and multiengine sea. He held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multiengine. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued January 25, 2019. He reported 15,000 total hours of flight experience on that date.

The five-seat, twin-engine, high-wing, amphibious airplane was manufactured in 1986. It was powered by two Lycoming IO-360, 180-horsepower engines, equipped with Hartzell two-blade, constant-speed propellers. A review of the airplane maintenance records revealed that a 100-hr inspection was completed on February 23, 2019.

Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane came to rest inside the house and rested in a near vertical, nose-down attitude. All major components were accounted for at the scene. The cockpit area was destroyed and crushed inward. The top of the fuselage between the engines was crushed inward. The fuselage beyond the fifth seat was intact and undamaged. The throttle quadrant, which ran along the top of the cockpit, was separated during the impact sequence. The wings remained attached and were removed for recovery. After recovery of the airplane, control continuity was traced from the cockpit, through several cable breaks to all flight control surfaces.

The right-wing leading edge inboard of the engine was crushed inward. The front and inboard side of the cowling was crushed. The right-engine propeller blades displayed chordwise scratching and tip curling. The wing outboard of the engine was undamaged. The left-wing leading edge inbound of the engine was crushed. The left propeller blades were feathered and undamaged. There was damage to the outboard portion of the wing, which included wrinkled skin, and upward folding of the wing and skin. The wingtip was crushed inward.

The left and right engine crankshafts were rotated by hand at the propeller hub, and continuity was confirmed through the powertrain to the valve train and accessory section. Compression was confirmed on all cylinders of both engines using the thumb method. All of the ignition harness leads were intact and undamaged. The right engine's magnetos were manually rotated and produced spark at all terminal leads.

A test run of the left engine mounted on the left wing was attempted. An external battery and engine controls were connected, and an external fuel tank was plumbed directly to the fuel pump inlet. The engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously at all selected power settings without interruption.

No evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction was noted during the examination of the recovered airframe and engines.

At 1153, the weather conditions reported at GIF included, wind from 170° at 12 knots, gusts to 17 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 3,400 ft, temperature 29° C, dew point 20° C, and an altimeter setting of 30.15 inches of mercury.