Accident Overview
On April 4, 2009, at about 1247 central daylight time, a Champion 7HC, registration N8560E, collided with a private home near the Centre Municipal Airport in Centre, Alabama. The private pilot was killed, and the airplane was substantially damaged by post-crash fire. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to witnesses, the airplane departed from the runway, climbed to approximately 20 to 50 feet, and then made a hard left bank. The airplane subsequently struck power lines, trees, and crashed into a house. The airplane erupted in flames, and the pilot was observed lying outside of the airplane.
Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 52, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and sea. His certificate was issued on July 2, 2003. His last medical examination was on July 4, 2007, for a third-class medical certificate with limitations for corrective lenses. On that application, the pilot reported 2,150 flight hours.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane was manufactured in 1959. It was powered by a Lycoming O-290 140-hp engine and equipped with a two-bladed Sensenich propeller. Review of aircraft logbook pages revealed that the last annual inspection was conducted on December 19, 2008, at a total time of 2,013.95 hours.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane traveled approximately 1,000 feet down the runway before becoming airborne and colliding with the house adjacent to the runway. The fabric covering the airframe was consumed by fire. The remainder of the fuselage was melted and exhibited impact damage. Examination of the flight control system revealed that the airplane was equipped with a push-pull tube rudder control system. The right rudder pedal control tube was missing the rod attachment bolt, retainer nut, and cotter pin. Examination of the engine and system components by the FAA inspector revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction. Review of the logbooks did not reveal any maintenance of the rudder control system. In a telephone conversation with the airplane manufacturer, American Champion, they stated that this model airplane did not come from the factory with a push-pull tube rudder system; the system installed was a cable type system, and operators sometimes change this. Review of the logbooks did not reveal this alteration.
Toxicology and Autopsy
An autopsy was performed on the pilot on April 7, 2009, by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, as authorized by the coroner of Cherokee County. The cause of death was reported as "94% total body surface burns." Forensic toxicology performed by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected no ethanol in vitreous and no cyanide in blood. Diphenhydramine, fentanyl, lorazepam, midazolam, and morphine were detected in various specimens. According to the Chief Investigator of Cherokee County, these medications were administered in a clinical setting and are consistent with the injuries described in the autopsy report.