Flight History
On June 20, 2008, at 1943 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built F1 Rocket, registration N623BL, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Woodbine Municipal Airport (1N4), Woodbine, New Jersey. The certificated private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to a witness, just prior to the accident, the airplane was observed to roll once, then roll again before going straight up. The witness thought the airplane was going to roll again, but it then stalled or shut off. The airplane then flipped back, tumbled end over end, and started to spiral. The witness then heard what she believed to be the pilot attempting to restart the engine twice. She next observed the airplane go below the tree line in her backyard and heard an explosion.
Pilot Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He reported 500 total hours of flight experience on his most recent application for an FAA third-class medical certificate, dated December 28, 2006.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was an amateur-built, aerobatic, single-engine, two-place, low-wing monoplane of conventional construction. It was powered by a modified Lycoming IO-540-D4A5 engine and equipped with a three-blade, constant-speed propeller. According to the FAA and the airplane kit manufacturer, the airplane received its special airworthiness certificate on September 20, 2007. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accrued approximately 190 total hours of operation.
Meteorological Conditions
A weather observation taken about 8 minutes prior to the accident at Cape May County Airport (WWD), Wildwood, New Jersey, located 13 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, recorded wind from 180 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, sky clear, temperature 22 degrees Celsius, dew point 16 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.00 inches of mercury.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the accident site and wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed that after the airplane went behind the tree line, it struck power lines and then impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude. Both occupants were wearing parachutes. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene. The airplane came to rest inverted on a 090-degree magnetic heading. A post-crash fire had occurred. Flight control continuity was established for all flight controls, and no evidence of in-flight structural failure or in-flight fire was discovered.
Examination of the engine revealed that it had been modified from its original design. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction was discovered. The engine was intact; however, the oil sump and the push rods for cylinders No. 1 and No. 4 had sustained impact damage. The upper spark plugs were of an automotive type and had gray electrodes. The crankshaft was rotated by hand, and thumb compression was obtained on cylinders No. 2, 3, 5, and 6. Thumb compression was not obtained on cylinders No. 1 and No. 4 due to impact damage to the push rods, but movement was observed in both cylinders. Movement of the rear accessory gear was also noted, and the engine-driven fuel pump's operability was verified during rotation of the crankshaft.
The upper spark plugs were powered by an electronic ignition unit, which sustained impact damage and was inoperable. The ignition system for the lower plugs was of standard design, powered by a magneto that was found separated from the engine and also impact damaged. However, the magneto produced sparks from all six ignition lead towers.
Examination of the fuel injection system revealed that the fuel injector had broken off its mounting stub. The fuel injector's inlet finger screen was clear of debris and contained a trace amount of fuel. The air impact tubes and venturi were free of debris, and the throttle linkage and associated air valve mixture arm moved freely.
Medical and Toxicology Information
An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the State of New Jersey, Southern Regional Medical Examiner Office. Toxicological testing conducted at the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory revealed ethanol in the pilot's blood (21 mg/dL) and muscle (73 mg/dL), but not in the liver. N-butanol was detected in muscle, and n-propanol was detected in blood and muscle.
Additional Findings
According to the kit manufacturer, the airplane had large normal control surfaces and did not like to spin. The pilot had installed a three-bladed propeller approximately one month prior to the accident.
The airplane was equipped with an inverted oil system, but the pilot had been experiencing problems: after 18 to 20 minutes of flight, the system would indicate no oil pressure. The pilot believed the issue was a hose collapse caused by a valve in the system and had removed the inverted oil system prior to the accident.
Review of the kit manufacturer's flight manual indicated that the airplane was equipped with two wing tanks, each capable of holding approximately 21 gallons of usable fuel. The manual advised that prolonged uncoordinated flight with low fuel quantities could uncover the fuel tank outlets, causing fuel starvation and engine failure. The pilot had modified the fuel system to include an inverted fuel system, allowing the engine to operate during unusual attitudes or inverted flight.
Examination of the accident airplane's fuel system by Safety Board investigators revealed no evidence of preimpact malfunctions or failures. However, only one side of the fuel system could be used during inverted flight. The left side had been modified with a flop tube (a flexible hose with a weight at its free end), which would feed fuel from the bottom of the left tank when right-side up and from the top when inverted. The right side used a standard design without a flop tube. The floor-mounted fuel selector had three positions: OFF, LEFT, and RIGHT. The selector was found in the RIGHT position.