History of Flight
On February 8, 2008, at 1309 central standard time, a 1948 Cessna 140, registration N3537V, was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain following a loss of control during cruise flight near Grand Meadow, Minnesota. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight departed New Richmond Regional Airport (KRNH), New Richmond, Wisconsin, about 1211 cst and was en route to Oskaloosa Municipal Airport (KOOA), Oskaloosa, Iowa.
The pilot had purchased the airplane earlier that day and was flying to Fulton, Missouri, to attend a family event. He intended to stop at KOOA for fuel before continuing to Elton Hensley Memorial Airport (KFTT) near Fulton.
The accident flight path was reconstructed using data from a handheld GPS receiver found in the wreckage and aircraft radar track data. After departing KRNH on runway 14 at 1211 cst, the airplane proceeded south on a direct course to KOOA, cruising between 1,600 and 1,900 feet mean sea level (msl). At 1306:48, the airplane made a 90-degree left turn and proceeded east for about 60 seconds before completing a figure-8 turn at varying altitudes between 2,200 and 2,900 feet msl. At 1309:08, the last GPS position was recorded at 2,276 feet msl. The elevation of the accident site was about 1,368 feet msl.
The GPS and radar data plotted on an aviation sectional chart showed the initial 90-degree course change and figure-8 maneuver were performed immediately north and east of several 400-foot tall wind turbines. The ground track for a direct course from KRNH to KOOA passed through this area.
Personnel Information
According to FAA records, the 54-year-old pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiple ratings, including airplane single and multiengine land, airplane single engine sea, rotorcraft-helicopter, and instrument rotorcraft. The rotorcraft and instrument rotorcraft ratings were limited to commercial privileges, while the airplane single engine land and sea ratings were limited to private privileges. He also held a flight engineer certificate for turbojet airplanes and was type-rated for the Boeing 727, Douglas DC-9, McDonnell Douglas MD-11, and Fokker 100. FAA records showed no prior accident, incident, enforcement, or disciplinary actions.
His last aviation medical examination was on September 11, 2007, when he was issued a first-class medical certificate with no limitations. He reported 21,000 hours of flight experience at that time. He was a captain with a domestic airline, and his last regulatory checkride was completed on December 23, 2007.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a 1948 Cessna 140, serial number 14809. It had a metal fuselage, fabric-covered wings with metal control surfaces, externally braced wings, wing flaps, and a fixed conventional landing gear. The airplane seated two and had a certified maximum takeoff weight of 1,450 lbs. It was not certified for operation under instrument flight rules (IFR). The airplane was equipped with a turn-and-bank indicator powered by a venturi vacuum system but lacked an artificial horizon or directional gyro.
The original standard airworthiness certificate was issued on June 2, 1948. The airframe had a total service time of 1,970.6 hours at the time of the accident. The last annual inspection was completed on January 24, 2007, at 1,968.0 hours, with 2.6 hours accumulated since then. The pilot had purchased the airplane on the morning of the accident; the previous owner reported that the pilot was aware the annual inspection had lapsed. According to the FAA, the pilot did not obtain a ferry permit for the accident flight.
The airplane was powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors C90-12F reciprocating engine, serial number 15311-2-12-R, producing 90 horsepower through a McCauley 1A90 fixed-pitch, two-blade metal propeller. The engine had 1,075.6 hours at the time of the accident; last maintenance was during the annual inspection on January 24, 2007, at 1,073.0 hours. A review of maintenance records found no history of unresolved airworthiness issues.
Meteorological Information
The National Weather Service Surface Analysis Chart for 1200 cst depicted a low pressure center over northern Iowa with an associated occluded front approaching the accident site. Weather Depiction Charts for 1000 cst and 1300 cst showed an extensive area of IFR conditions along and ahead of the low and front. The departure airport and accident site were northeast of the low and front. Surface observations along the route reported IFR conditions due to low ceilings and visibility restrictions in light snow, mist, or haze.
Automated weather at KRNH reported: at 1135 cst, wind 120° true at 4 knots, visibility 1-1/4 statute miles in light snow, sky overcast at 1,500 feet agl; at 1235 cst, similar conditions. At Austin Municipal Airport (KAUM), about 14.5 nm west of the accident site, conditions at 1256 cst were wind 140° true at 4 knots, visibility 1-1/2 sm with mist, overcast at 400 feet agl; at 1316 cst, similar. At Rochester International Airport (KRST), about 15 nm north-northeast, conditions at 1254 cst were wind 130° at 9 knots, visibility 2-1/2 sm with mist, overcast at 600 feet agl; at 1308 cst, wind 120° at 8 knots, visibility 3 sm with mist, overcast at 600 feet agl.
Satellite infrared imagery showed extensive low stratiform clouds over the route and accident site with tops around 7,000 feet msl. Visible imagery depicted a low overcast layer of stratus to nimbostratus. Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts at the departure airport and along the route forecast IFR conditions with low ceilings and visibilities. During the accident flight, there were active advisories for IFR conditions across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and northern Iowa, with ceilings below 1,000 feet agl and/or visibility below 3 sm in precipitation, as well as moderate icing conditions below 8,000 feet msl and a freezing level at the surface. The NWS Current Icing Product indicated a 70 percent probability of icing at 2,000 feet msl.
The pilot accessed the FAA DUAT and obtained three weather briefings: an outlook and route briefing the evening before, and a low altitude briefing on the morning of the accident at 0426 cst. All briefings forecast IFR conditions along the planned route.
Communications
The pilot did not communicate with air traffic control during the accident flight, nor did he file or open any flight plan.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was a level, snow-covered field. The airplane impacted in a nose-low, left-wing-down attitude. The debris path, from initial impact to main wreckage, was approximately 300 feet long oriented on a 210-degree magnetic bearing. Numerous 400-foot tall wind turbines were located south and west of the site; the closest was about 300 feet south of the main wreckage. No evidence indicated the airplane struck any wind turbine.
Main wreckage included the entire fuselage, empennage, both wings, and engine. The cabin and aft fuselage were highly fragmented. No fire was evident. All flight control surfaces were accounted for, and cable continuity was established from each surface to the cockpit. The flaps were fully retracted. Areas of snow under the main wreckage were stained blue, consistent with 100 low-lead aviation fuel. The fuel selector was set to draw from both tanks. The altimeter's Kollsman window was set to 29.76 inches of mercury.
The engine remained partially attached; the propeller had separated from the crankshaft, with both blades exhibiting twist, spanwise bending, and chordwise scratching. The magnetos produced spark to all four wires when spun with the impulse coupling. The muffler heat shrouds were open with no evidence of exhaust leakage. Examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller revealed no pre-impact failure or malfunction.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on February 11, 2008, at the Mayo Clinic attributed the pilot's cause of death to multiple blunt force injuries sustained during the accident. Toxicological tests by the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute detected no carbon monoxide, cyanide, or ethanol. Diphenhydramine was present in urine but not in blood; ibuprofen was detected in urine. Diphenhydramine is an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative effects used for allergies and nausea; ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory analgesic.