Fly By Sea CO COMP AIR 1 accident near Rockledge, Florida, September 26, 2007
On September 26, 2007 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Fly By Sea CO COMP AIR 1, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N880FS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rockledge, Florida (Merritt Island airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 2007 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Rockledge, Florida · Merritt Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fly By Sea CO COMP AIR 1 XL10, amateur-built
- Registration
- N880FS · no longer on the register · serial 0210284XL
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner of the airplane hired an instructor to have the pilot checked out on the airplane. The airplane was taken back to the manufacturer to have a few discrepancies looked into that were noted during the pilot's familiarization flight. The pilot elected to conduct the post maintenance flight by himself. The airplane was 7 miles from the airport when the engine lost power without any warning. His attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The pilot landed the airplane on a canal dike, and slid down an embankment. The post accident wreckage inspection conducted by a FAA inspector did not reveal the reason for the engine's loss of power. The instructor stated the pilot received about an hour of dual instructions on the airplane and systems and that the pilot, had in the past, inadvertently shutdown the engine several times while taxiing during the training.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,044 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 965 as pilot in command; 496 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 7, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 24, 2007; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Walter M601D (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCOI Merritt FL at 6:30 pm
- Destination: KCOI Merritt FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from KCOF, 7 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.