Aero Partners One LLC CA 7SL accident near Merritt Island, Florida, May 15, 2002
On May 15, 2002 at about 11:05 pm local time, a Aero Partners One LLC CA 7SL, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N4075Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Merritt Island, Florida (Cocoa Merritt Island airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision resulting in the misconfiguration of the flaps and the elevator trim setting. The misconfiguration resulted in an inadvertent pitch-up, loss of airspeed, stall and collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2002 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Merritt Island, Florida · Cocoa Merritt Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Partners One LLC CA 7SL, amateur-built
- Registration
- N4075Z · no longer on the register · serial 017254SL
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing touch and go landings at the time of the accident. On the third approach, the airplane was high and hot (fast) nearing the end of runway 11. Witnesses heard the engine power-up and saw the airplane climb to a near vertical attitude. The airplane appeared to have stalled and entered a spin to the left. The airplane rotated approximately 380 degrees before impacting the water. The wing flaps were found in the up position. The rudder trim was found trimmed slightly to the left. The elevator trim was found in the landing configuration, approximately two inches down at the trailing edge. According to the manufacturer, when landing with full flaps, the elevator trim must be adjusted to the nose up position. When conducting a go-around the flaps are raised and the elevator must be adjusted to a more neutral position or the airplane will pitch up.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 31 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Walter M601D (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: COI Merritt Island FL at 11:02 pm
- Destination: COI Merritt Island FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 3,601 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 080° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 11:10 pm from MCO, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.