History of Flight
On January 3, 2009, at approximately 1345 central standard time, a Nanchang China CJ-6, registration N99YK, was destroyed and consumed by a post-crash fire following a loss of control and impact with terrain. The accident occurred while the aircraft was on base leg for landing at Propwash Airport (16X) in Justin, Texas. The private pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was owned by a corporation, operated by a private individual, and flown under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plan was filed for the local area flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
The airplane was leading a three-ship formation on a local pleasure flight. The pilot called the flight and announced an overflight of Propwash Airport in loose trail formation, conducting a right break to enter the traffic pattern at 3-second intervals for landing on runway 17. The pilot of the second aircraft initiated his break, established on downwind leg, and completed his landing checklist. When he looked outside for the lead aircraft's position, he noticed lead flying on the base leg approximately 300-400 feet above ground level in a very steep right turn that immediately became a near vertical nose-down descent. The airplane impacted the ground nearly vertical and 180 degrees from the intended landing direction. Witnesses on the ground confirmed this same scenario.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 69, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. A third-class medical certificate was issued on August 27, 2007, with the restriction that glasses must be available for near vision. The pilot's logbook was not found. On the pilot's last application for a medical certificate, he reported 2,500 total flight hours with 400 logged in the previous six months.
The passenger, age 61, held a commercial pilot certificate for airplane single-engine and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. A second-class medical certificate was last issued on July 15, 2005, with no restrictions. The passenger also held a flight instructor certificate for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane.
Aircraft Information
The tandem two-seat, dihedral wing, retractable tricycle landing gear airplane, serial number 1332010, was manufactured in 1965. It was powered by a 360-horsepower Vendeneyev M14P radial engine driving a MT MTV-9-B-C three-bladed, variable pitch, metal propeller. The airplane was certified under an experimental exhibition category on November 2, 2006, and reported to have accumulated 4,590 hours.
Meteorological Information
At 1353, an automated weather reporting station at Fort Worth Alliance Airport (KAFW), about 7 miles south of the accident site, reported wind from 210 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 19 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 82 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 48 degrees Fahrenheit, and barometric pressure 29.64 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
Propwash Airport (16X) is a privately-owned, non-towered airport located at an elevation of 800 feet mean sea level. Runway 17, the landing runway, was 3,000 feet long and 60 feet wide, asphalt.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest in a nearly vertical attitude. The empennage was bent to the right 90 degrees just aft of the wings and rotated clockwise 90 degrees. The flight instruments and engine were found forward and to the left of the cockpit. A post-impact fire consumed portions of the cockpit, fuselage, right aileron, left elevator, rudder, and vertical fin. The landing gear was found extended. The split flap was found extended. Both wings displayed accordion crushing, with the right wing showing a higher degree of damage than the left wing. Control continuity was established from the cockpit area to each control surface.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot, performed on January 4, 2009, by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s District in Fort Worth, Texas, ruled the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries and the manner as accident. Forensic toxicology performed on pilot specimens by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected no carbon monoxide, cyanide, or drugs in the blood, and no ethanol in the vitreous.
Additional Information
The FAA Advisory Circular AC 61-67C, Stall and Spin Awareness Training, dated September 25, 2000, informs pilots that accelerated stalls can occur at higher-than-normal airspeeds due to abrupt and/or excessive control applications, and may occur in steep turns, pullups, or other abrupt changes in flightpath.