History of Flight
On July 18, 2009, about 1205 Pacific daylight time, an experimental Weiss Lancair, N244RR, collided with terrain while maneuvering near Santa Clarita, California. The pilot/owner operated the airplane as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight that departed Whiteman Airport (WHP), Los Angeles, California, at an undetermined time. No flight plan was filed.
A witness interviewed by law enforcement heard a low-flying airplane and observed it just above his property. He reported hearing an engine throttle reduction followed by a steep, nearly vertical climb. Near the top of the climb, engine power seemed reduced to idle. The witness thought the airplane stalled during the vertical maneuver and fell backward, with smoke appearing from the wingtips as if performing aerobatics. He estimated the airplane tumbled two or three times before entering a downward spiral. It made two rotations at a 45-degree angle until impacting a roadway. He could see rudder and aileron movement until impact and believed the pilot was attempting to regain control. The witness thought engine power remained at idle throughout the descent.
Personnel Information
FAA airman records showed the 43-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating and a third-class medical certificate issued May 12, 2008, with the limitation that corrective lenses must be worn. No personal flight records were located. The pilot reported on his medical application a total time of 285 hours with zero hours logged in the preceding 6 months.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was an experimental Weiss Lancair, serial number JC003, powered by a Textron Lycoming IO-360-M1B engine, serial number L-31004-51A. Total time on the airframe and engine was approximately 100 hours since new.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest upright in a drainage ditch on the 27000 block of Triumph Avenue in Santa Clarita. The propeller assembly, cowling, and portions of the cockpit were about 5 feet forward of the main wreckage. The main wreckage comprised the engine attached to the airframe, cockpit, wings, fuselage, and tail section. All primary flight control surfaces were accounted for. Visual examination of the engine revealed no evidence of catastrophic mechanical malfunction.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Los Angeles County Coroner did not perform an autopsy due to family objection. The immediate cause of death was identified as multiple traumatic injuries. Toxicology specimens were obtained and tested. The coroner's toxicology test yielded positive results for buprenorphine at 18 ng/gm. A bottle of buprenorphine was found in the wreckage; the prescribing physician stated he had been treating the pilot for heroin addiction for about two years and had prescribed buprenorphine 15 mg per day. The pilot's most recent FAA medical application indicated "NO" to current medication use and substance dependence.
The FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team tested specimens and found no ethanol in the liver or muscle. They detected buprenorphine in the liver (0.083 ug/ml, ug/g) and kidney (0.0124 ug/ml, ug/g), and norbuprenorphine in kidney and liver. No tests for carbon monoxide or cyanide were performed.
Tests and Research
A wreckage examination on August 10, 2009, by the NTSB, FAA, and Textron Lycoming found no mechanical anomalies precluding normal engine operation. Crankshaft rotation was not possible due to damage. Spark plugs were intact with normal coloration. The oil filter showed no metal contamination. Borescope inspection of cylinders revealed no mechanical damage or foreign object ingestion. Left magneto produced spark; the right magneto was damaged and inoperative.
The two-bladed Hartzell constant-speed propeller assembly separated from the engine at the crankshaft flange. Both blades exhibited leading edge damage, chordwise scratching, and S-bending. The crankshaft fracture surface was angular and granular, consistent with torsional overload.
The airplane was equipped with an Advanced Flight Systems AF3000 primary flight display (PFD) and ACS2002 engine monitor. The AF3000 recorded approximately 10 discrete data parameters every 5 seconds, including GPS coordinates. Data from the accident flight's last minutes (1203:56 to 1205:42) were plotted. Parameters were stable until 1205:21, when pitch was about 6° nose-up, groundspeed 170 knots, pressure altitude 4,400 feet. Pitch decreased to about 62° nose-low by 1205:32. Groundspeed remained 170 knots for 6 seconds then dropped to 0 knots by 1205:32. Pressure altitude peaked at 4,700 feet then decreased to 4,200 feet at 1205:31, reaching a minimum of 2,300 feet at 1205:42.