History of Flight
On September 14, 2008, at 0907 central daylight time, an American Champion 7GCBC, registration N571JH, was substantially damaged after impacting terrain near Kickapoo Municipal Airport (CWC) in Wichita Falls, Texas. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. No flight plan was filed, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot's wife, the pilot had planned to remain in the traffic pattern at CWC.
Several witnesses observed the airplane or heard its engine. One witness reported hearing the engine surge loudly and saw the airplane "struggling to find lift." Another witness heard the engine "popping," then go silent, followed by a resumption of popping noises. Several witnesses reported hearing no engine noise during the base-to-final leg. They also noted seeing the propeller horizontal and then spinning, as if an engine restart was attempted. Witnesses stated that as the airplane approached an open field near a church, it barely cleared a transmission line before quickly rolling right and impacting the ground nose-first.
Personnel Information
The 56-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating and a valid third-class medical certificate issued on May 7, 2008. According to his logbook, he had logged over 314 total flight hours, with 13 hours in the 7GCBC model (4.4 of those in the accident airplane). He completed a flight review in a Cessna 172G on May 19, 2008, and received a tailwheel endorsement on July 18, 2008, with training in an American Champion 7BCM. A spin entry, spins, and spin recovery endorsement was signed on August 2, 2008, after training in an American Champion 8KCAB. The pilot's wife described him as cautious, noting he typically avoided flying in winds exceeding 15 knots, especially with strong crosswinds.
Aircraft Information
The single-engine, high-wing, fixed-gear, fabric-covered airplane (serial number 1412-2006) was manufactured in 2006. It was powered by a 160-horsepower Lycoming O-320-B2B engine driving a metal, two-bladed, Sensenich 74DM6S8-1-56 fixed-pitch propeller. Maintenance records showed an annual inspection completed on August 14, 2008, at an airframe total time of 16.5 hours.
Meteorological Information
At 0905, an automated weather reporting station at CWC, approximately 0.5 nautical miles north of the accident site, reported winds from 010 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 20 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 70°F, dew point 57°F, and barometric pressure 30.04 inHg. A carburetor icing chart from the FAA indicated that the airplane was operating in conditions conducive to moderate icing at cruise power or serious icing at descent power.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was located in a flat, open field about 0.5 nautical miles south of runway 35's approach end. Nearby obstructions included a church 50 yards north, a highway 130 yards east, and a transmission line 40 yards south. Impact signatures were consistent with an inverted, nose-low attitude, with the airplane aligned generally along a 052° magnetic heading. All components were accounted for. The right wing sustained more crushing damage; the right main landing gear was bent forward and partially attached. The right flap and aileron were crushed, preventing flap position determination. The left flap appeared down. The top of the rudder was crushed inward. The engine remained attached, and both propeller blades showed rotational scoring and polishing.
Flight control continuity was established from the control stick to aileron and elevator surfaces, and from the rudder surface to pedals. Over seven gallons of fuel were recovered from both breached tanks; fuel tested negative for water. Valve continuity and thumb compression were confirmed for all cylinders. The carburetor bowl contained fuel, also water-free. Both magnetos produced spark at terminals. Switches for pitot heat, landing light, navigation light, avionics, master, and left/right ignition were found off; the strobe light switch was on. No first responders recalled turning off switches. The POH's forced landing checklist includes a step to turn all electrical switches off.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on September 15, 2008, by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death as "massive blunt force trauma of head, chest, and extremities." Forensic toxicology by the FAA found no carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or drugs in the pilot's specimens.
Test and Research
A follow-up examination of the engine and fuel system revealed unobstructed fuel lines, a clear fuel screen, a freely rotating JPI EDM fuel flow monitor, and an impact-damaged fuel shut-off valve found in the "on" position. No fuel system anomalies were found that would prevent normal fuel flow. Both magnetos produced spark. Crush damage to the engine air box prevented assessment of the heat gate position.
Additional Data
Global Positioning System (GPS) Data
The airplane carried a Garmin GPSmap 496. The NTSB laboratory recovered multiple tracks; the accident flight was identified as "Track 22." It showed the airplane taxiing, delaying in the run-up area, taking off, and turning left onto downwind. The airplane traveled south-southwest, passed abeam the runway threshold about 3/4 mile wide on a heading of 190° true, continued 1/2 mile, then turned base. During the turn, it straightened toward an open field. Selected GPS data points (time, altitude MSL, ground speed, true heading):
- 09:06:03: 1259 ft, 50 mph, 22°
- 09:06:06: 1248 ft, 46 mph, 30°
- 09:06:11: 1204 ft, 44 mph, 28°
- 09:06:20: 1139 ft, 38 mph, 23°
- 09:06:27: 1082 ft, 44 mph, 72°
- 09:06:34: 1018 ft, 10 mph, 259°
- 09:06:52: 1000 ft, 0.5 mph, 205°
- 09:07:21: 996 ft (no heading)
The POH specifies 60-65 mph for a total power loss and 47 mph flaps-down stall speed.
J.P. Instruments (JPI) Data
A JPI EDM 930 was recovered, and data extraction revealed recordings from 08:59:48 to 09:16:30. Selected parameters (time, fuel flow in GPH, RPM, manifold pressure in inHg):
- 09:15:18: 11.0, 2448, 24.1
- 09:15:24: 11.0, 2501, 24.0
- 09:15:30: 9.3, 1587, 19.3
- 09:15:36: 0.0, 1053, 13.2
- 09:15:42: 0.2, 884, 13.0
- 09:15:48: 0.0, 751, 13.8
- 09:15:54: 0.2, 529, 20.3
- 09:16:00: 0.3, 615, 18.5
- 09:16:06: 0.0, 644, 17.7
- 09:16:12: 0.0, 489, 20.7
- 09:16:18: 0.0, 347, 24.3
- 09:16:24: 0.0, 309, 28.8
- 09:16:30: 0.0, 301, 28.9
Comparison of GPS and JPI Data
The EDM 930 clock was estimated to be 10 minutes 36 seconds behind the GPS. Using synchronized timing, the first fuel flow reduction occurred near 09:04:54 during the downwind rollout at about 1,776 ft MSL and 134 mph. At 09:05:18, manifold pressure increased to 20.3 inHg with a 0.2 GPH fuel flow spike as the airplane approached the base turn at 1,756 ft MSL and 99 mph. Over the last 30 seconds of EDM data, fuel flow remained zero, RPM decayed, and manifold pressure fluctuated. The EDM stopped recording near the GPS's 09:05:55 data point, when the airplane was completing the final turn toward the accident site.