History of Flight
On June 17, 2008, at 1036 eastern daylight time, a Helton Lark 95, registration N86657, collided with a utility pole, a light pole, and a tree in West Carrollton, Ohio. The accident occurred following a loss of engine power. The airplane had just departed runway 26 at Moraine Airpark (I73), Moraine, Ohio. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured, and the sole passenger on board received serious injuries. The flight was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a ferry flight in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed, and the flight was originating at the time of the accident, with an intended destination of Reno, Nevada. The en route stops were not determined.
The airplane had recently been sold, and the pilot was contacted by an aircraft broker to ferry it to the new owner in Reno, Nevada.
The passenger recalled taking off and the airplane entering a "sharp left turn." She did not recall the pilot stating what the problem was, nor the altitude achieved. She stated the engine was running when the airplane entered the left bank.
A witness reported the airplane sounded fine on takeoff, but when over the river at 200-250 feet above ground, the engine started to lose power and sputter. The airplane banked left and nosed down. When about 50 feet above ground, the nose rose and the wing contacted a utility pole, then descended out of view.
Another witness reported hearing loud engine noise, saw the airplane in a left bank, and heard a loud engine sound like the manifold had come off, occasionally with popping or back-fire sounds.
Personnel Information
The 37-year-old pilot held ATP, CFI, and ground instructor certificates. The ATP certificate included airplane multi-engine land rating with commercial privileges for single-engine land, and type ratings for A-320, CL-65, and DC-3. The CFI certificate included airplane multi-engine land, single-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot held a first-class medical certificate issued August 24, 2007, with no limitations.
The pilot's logbook, with first entry dated August 3, 2005, recorded a total flight time of 9,737.2 hours as of June 13, 2007, nearly all as pilot-in-command in CL-65 airplanes. Employer records from August 21, 2007 to June 16, 2008 documented flight time as a first officer in A-319 airplanes. Combined records indicated approximately 10,328 total hours, with 3,108 hours in single-engine airplanes. The logbook showed no prior Lark 95 flights, and the passenger stated this was the pilot's first flight in the airplane.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a 1966 Helton Lark 95, serial number 9506. It was a single-engine, low-wing, two-place airplane with fixed landing gear and a sliding canopy. The fuselage and wings were plywood-covered; the engine cowling was fiberglass.
Maintenance records showed an annual inspection on June 14, 2008 at 1,205.6 hours total aircraft time. The engine, a 90-horsepower Continental C90 (serial number 48550-6-16), also received an annual inspection on the same date at 1,205.6 hours.
The A&P IA who performed the annual inspection reported that just before the flight, the pilot informed him the battery was dead. The mechanic towed the airplane to the fuel pumps, where it was topped off. The pilot requested a hand prop, which the mechanic performed. The landing light was found non-functional; the pilot taxied back to the hangar, the mechanic connected the light wire, then hand propped again. The mechanic heard the airplane take off and the engine sounded healthy.
Meteorological Information
Weather at Dayton International Airport (DAY, 15 miles north) at 1056: wind 290 degrees at 13 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 4,300 feet, broken clouds at 6,000 feet, temperature 20°C, dew point 8°C, altimeter 30.02 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The main wreckage was located behind a residence southwest of the departure end of runway 26 at I73, across the Great Miami River from the airport. The wreckage path was on an easterly heading. The airplane contacted a utility pole with the right wingtip, severing a power line. Pieces were scattered between the utility pole and main wreckage. A 2-foot section of right wingtip was found 98 feet from the pole. Ground scars began 123 feet from the pole. The airplane then contacted and severed a light pole before coming to rest inverted about 235 feet from the initial utility pole contact.
The instrument panel forward, outboard sections of both wings, and the canopy separated from the main wreckage. The propeller separated from the crankshaft near the light pole; both blade tips curled rearward, one with torsional twisting.
Post-accident inspection by FAA inspectors from Cincinnati FSDO found flight control continuity established to the extent possible. The fuel pump, fuel selector, and magnetos were in the off position. The top spark plug on cylinder number four was separated from the cylinder. Impact damage was visible on the cowling near that cylinder and on the cylinder itself near the top spark plug. The other three top spark plugs were "less than finger tight."
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on June 18, 2008 at the Montgomery County Coroner's Office, Dayton, Ohio, listed the cause of death as "Blunt force injuries of the head and neck." A Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute tested negative.
Tests and Research
According to Teledyne Continental Motors, loose top spark plugs would reduce engine power, but no data indicated how much power would be lost. The A&P IA who signed off the last annual inspection reported checking the torque on all spark plugs after installation during the inspection.