History of Flight
On May 30, 2008, at about 1145 Pacific daylight time, a Poulin L/Cullen D Lancair Legacy amateur-built airplane, N109DC, was destroyed following a loss of control and collision with terrain while maneuvering to land near French Valley Airport (F70), Murrieta, California. The certificated private pilot and his sole passenger were killed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, which operated under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The flight had departed F70 about 0900.
Initial reports indicated the airplane was observed making multiple touch-and-go landings prior to the accident. Three witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying in a southerly direction. One witness observed the airplane roll hard to its right and suddenly go straight down. Another witness described a sudden hard right causing the left wing to pull straight up, then the airplane descending while on its side. A third witness heard a loud engine rev that suddenly died, then saw the airplane rolling to the right and diving head-down. No fire or smoke was reported from the crash site by witnesses.
An FAA airworthiness inspector reported the airplane crashed in an open field about 1 nautical mile from the approach end of Runway 18 at F70. The wreckage covered approximately 900 square feet, and no fuel was present at the site. The wreckage was recovered to a secure storage facility for later examination.
Personnel
The pilot, aged 76, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land and a third-class FAA medical certificate dated January 24, 2006, with a limitation requiring corrective lenses. On his medical application, he reported an estimated total flight time of 600 hours, with no flight time in the previous 6 months. A family member stated the pilot had been flying for about 40 years, was very experienced, and had completed aerobatic training.
Aircraft Information
N109DC was an amateur-built Poulin L/Cullen D Lancair Legacy, serial number L2K 176. It was a two-place, low-wing airplane with retractable tricycle landing gear, built by the accident pilot. A family member reported the airplane had about 25 hours of flying time since completion. It was powered by a Continental IO-550-N-8 engine rated at 310 horsepower. No airframe or engine logbooks were located during the investigation.
Meteorological Information
At 1153, the Chino Airport ASOS (about 39 nautical miles northwest) reported wind from 290 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 26°C, dew point 9°C, and altimeter setting 30.03 inches of Mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
An FAA inspector reported that the tail section aft of the cockpit/cabin bulkhead was broken off but intact, lying about 15 feet from the main wreckage. The airplane came to rest with the tail facing east, the wing spar oriented northwest-southeast, the main fuselage east-west, and the engine facing south. No rotational bending was observed on any of the three propeller blades. Impact signatures were consistent with a nose-low, left-wing-down attitude in a near-vertical impact. Examination of the wing interiors, vegetation, and surrounding ground revealed no fuel odor or spill.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted by the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Office on May 31, 2008, listed the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological analysis by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute detected atenolol in lung, liver, and muscle, and diphenhydramine in muscle and spleen. No ethanol was detected in muscle or spleen. Carbon monoxide and cyanide tests were not performed.
Tests and Research
On June 10, 2008, the airplane's engine was examined at a secure facility. The examination revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.