History of Flight
On July 5, 2008, at approximately 1850 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Vans RV-7, registration N916R, was destroyed when it struck the water in the Shark River Inlet, Neptune, New Jersey. The certificated private pilot, who also built and owned the aircraft, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions; no flight plan was filed.
According to witnesses and airport records, the airplane was based at Monmouth Executive Airport (BLM) in Farmingdale, New Jersey. One witness reported that the pilot indicated he planned to fly that afternoon and remain in the airport traffic pattern. Another witness noted that the pilot had completed an engine oil change earlier that day and was performing other maintenance around 1500, but did not discuss subsequent flight plans. Most witnesses stated the aircraft approached from the northwest in a near-vertical trajectory before hitting the water. One witness described the airplane as "spiraling," and several reported the engine sounded very loud. One witness observed pieces separating during the descent. A surveillance camera at a nearby marina captured the final trajectory, showing the aircraft descending at an angle of approximately 80 degrees.
Personnel Information
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicated the pilot, age 45, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating and was not instrument-rated. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate, issued in October 2007, reported 250 total hours of flight experience.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was an all-metal, low-wing monoplane with conventional landing gear, a two-place side-by-side cockpit, canopy entry, and a Superior IO-360 piston engine. It was equipped with conventional flight controls actuated via control rods. The airplane was built by the accident pilot and had been previously involved in an accident in October 2006 during its first flight. That accident, piloted by someone other than the builder/owner, was attributed by the NTSB to a loss of engine power due to a disconnected throttle linkage, with contributing factor being improper installation by the builder/owner. After repairs, the airplane flew again on May 1, 2008. Between May and June 2008, a test pilot flew approximately 7 hours over six flights, noting a "left wing heaviness" that the builder corrected. The accident pilot/owner flew the repaired aircraft for the first time on June 17, 2008. Online forum posts by the pilot indicated the rebuilt airplane initially exhibited a left-rolling tendency at speeds above 120 mph, which he corrected based on advice from the forum and kit manufacturer. Build records and logbooks were not recovered.
Meteorological Information
The 1855 surface observation at BLM reported wind from 060 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 5 miles, scattered clouds at 600 feet, broken cloud layers at 5,500 and 9,500 feet, temperature 21°C, dew point 19°C, and altimeter 29.86 inches of mercury. Earlier observations showed visibility up to 9 miles with few clouds at 1,000 feet.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located about 4 miles east of BLM, 750 feet east of the Shark River Municipal Marina, in water about 5 feet deep. Pleasure boaters retrieved afloat components; the bulk was recovered from the soft mud bottom. NTSB examination on July 29–30, 2008, revealed significant fragmentation and crushing damage. Missing parts included the engine, engine mount, propeller, left flap, vertical stabilizer, most of the right elevator, right main landing gear, upper control stick segments, a portion of the instrument panel, most of the canopy transparency, and one metal seat back. The largest remaining component was the aft fuselage/left horizontal stabilizer. The center section of the wing spar assembly included approximately 3 feet of each wing spar outboard of the fuselage; the right spar was bent aft about 90 degrees, the left about 75 degrees. The left-seat five-point harness was recovered fully buckled, with several belts showing overload tearing. No evidence of pre-impact failures was found in the flight control system.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy by the Office of the Medical Examiner of Monmouth County listed the cause of death as "extensive blunt force trauma." The pilot's remains were recovered approximately 48 hours after the accident. Toxicology tests by the FAA and State of New Jersey were negative for common drugs; however, ethanol was detected in muscle and liver tissue (with putrefaction noted), and quinine was detected in liver tissue. No information was obtained regarding the pilot's possible use of quinine.
Tests and Research
Surveillance camera imagery from the Shark River Municipal Marina was analyzed. The camera, facing east from the west shore, captured the airplane entering the top center of the frame and descending at about 80 degrees over 0.547 seconds (four airborne images). The second image showed the airplane and possibly a much smaller unidentified object. Subsequent images captured the impact splash. Photogrammetry indicated a vertical velocity component of approximately 240 feet per second.