Accident Overview
On August 5, 2008, at approximately 1440 central daylight time, a Piper PA-12 aircraft, registration N7820H, was destroyed when it struck a soybean field shortly after departing from Moontown Airport (3M5) in Brownsboro, Alabama. The certificated private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan.
Flight History
The pilot and passenger intended to photograph a corn maze on the passenger's property. According to law enforcement, the airplane departed from runway 27, a 2,180-foot-long by 160-foot-wide turf runway. It climbed to about 50 feet above ground level before descending into an adjacent field.
A witness inside a nearby residence observed the airplane take off and rise to roughly tree-top height before disappearing behind trees, followed by the sound of a crash and a plume of smoke. Another witness did not see the aircraft but heard the engine falter and then an explosion.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single- and multi-engine land ratings, as well as a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings and an inspection authorization. His most recent FAA third-class medical was issued March 28, 2008, at which time he reported 1,050 total flight hours. A logbook review revealed 1,076.9 total hours, with 978.9 hours in single-engine aircraft and 886.6 hours as pilot-in-command. His last flight review was September 26, 2006.
The three-seat, single-engine airplane (serial number 12-718) received its airworthiness certificate in 1946. Its tubular steel and fabric airframe was powered by a Lycoming O-290-D2 engine. The last annual inspection was completed April 15, 2008, with a total time in service of 1,969.8 hours. The engine had 436.9 hours since its last major overhaul on June 21, 1978, and was installed on December 1, 2004.
Meteorological Conditions
The 1440 automated weather observation at Madison County Executive Airport, 8 miles away, recorded wind from 210 degrees at 3 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 35°C, dew point 19°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact
An FAA inspector found the airplane impacted with the nose and right wing, coming to rest nose-down with the fuselage bent into an inverted U-shape. The wreckage orientation was 310 degrees magnetic. The right wing's leading edge was crushed. Control continuity was confirmed for all surfaces. The propeller showed no rotational scoring. No fuel was found in the carburetor; spark plug electrodes were gray. A post-impact fire consumed the aircraft. The fuel selector valve was recovered in the OFF position.
Medical and Toxicological Findings
An autopsy attributed the pilot's death to blunt force injuries. Toxicological tests detected no drugs of abuse.
Fuel Selector Examination
On-site inspection by a mechanic and an FAA inspector revealed that with the selector handle in its as-found position, two of three orifices were closed, allowing only one to be open. Subsequent laboratory analysis confirmed that the internal orifice was open solely to the right port, preventing fuel flow—i.e., the valve was OFF.
Additional Information
The aircraft owner stated he typically placed the fuel selector in the OFF position when parking to prevent fuel drainage through the carburetor. He noted that with the valve OFF, residual fuel in the lines and collector tank would allow the engine to run for approximately six minutes. Other PA-12 pilots corroborated this, with one stating the engine could run for about 12 minutes at idle, and that under takeoff power, fuel starvation would occur at 50 to 150 feet above ground level.