History of Flight
On August 29, 2008, about 1230 Pacific daylight time, a Zodiac 601 XL experimental amateur-built airplane, registration N9881T, collided with terrain and a building during maneuvering near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The pilot, the sole occupant, was killed. The flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The local flight departed Coeur d'Alene Air Terminal around 1225.
Witnesses reported hearing the engine cut out, restart, then stop completely. They observed the airplane in a left turn before it spiraled down with wings vertical. One wing tip hit the ground; the airplane flipped over and slid into a school building. Fuel was seen leaking after the crash.
An FAA airworthiness inspector found the carburetor's mixture control lever separated from its mixture shaft. All necessary flight components were accounted for, and fuel was present. There was no postcrash fire.
Pilot Information
According to FAA records, the pilot, age 65, held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. His most recent medical exam was on June 26, 2003, with a third-class certificate requiring corrective lenses. He reported 900 total flight hours, with 20 hours in the previous 6 months. His logbook was not recovered.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was an amateur-built Zodiac 601 XL, serial number 6-5407, on its maiden flight. It was an all-metal, low-wing design with fixed tricycle landing gear, maximum gross weight 1,320 pounds, and two seats. It was powered by a 100-horsepower GM Corvair 6-cylinder engine converted for aircraft use.
Maintenance records showed the engine first run on February 14, 2008, with a note "Carb problems." On June 10, 2008, the discharge nozzle was replaced, and on August 1, 2008, run-up and taxi tests were performed. On August 15, 2008, the pilot certified the aircraft as airworthy. On August 16, 2008, the FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate. The aircraft logged 0 hours total time and 5.2 tachometer hours.
Meteorological Information
At 1235, the COE AWOS reported wind 150° at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 5,000 feet, temperature 24°C, dew point 13°C, altimeter 29.93 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane came to rest inverted against an elementary school building about 1 mile south of the departure airport. Fuel was present. Impact damage to the engine, both composite propellers, and the airframe was observed.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on September 1, 2008, listed cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head. Toxicology tests were negative for drugs and alcohol.
Post-Accident Examination
An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the engine and reported the carburetor showed signs of age, with the metering valve shaft slightly bent and grooved. The mixture control lever's lean/rich stop had been previously broken off and filed smooth. The mixture control arm appeared to have separated from the metering valve shaft during the maiden flight. The mixture control cable was secured to the firewall, not to an engine bracket.