History of Flight
On August 10, 2009, at 1030 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Pongracz Nieuport 11 impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from a private grass strip in Brasstown, North Carolina. The certificated commercial pilot was killed and the airplane incurred substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Witnesses told the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that it was the pilot-owner's initial flight with the airplane. They observed the airplane departing toward the south into rising terrain. The witnesses stated that the normal departure procedure for that grass strip was to depart toward the north, where the terrain descended. The airplane made a normal takeoff roll, became airborne, and when it was about 300 feet above ground, it pitched up and then went straight down. The airplane impacted the ground nose first, coming to rest inverted in a pasture adjacent to the right side of the grass strip. A fire ensued immediately after impact. The engine was heard at full power until impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and multi-engine land with instrument airplane, and a flight instructor certificate with a rating for single-engine land. His last medical certificate, a third-class, was issued in July 2008. He reported a total of 500 flight hours at that time.
Aircraft Information
The amateur-built airplane was issued an experimental airworthiness certificate on October 29, 2008. It was a single-seat, bi-wing aircraft with a tubular structural and fabric skin design. It was powered by a Volkswagen VW835CC, 60-horsepower engine. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accumulated less than 1 hour of total flight time and was on its initial flight.
Meteorological Information
The Andrews-Murphy Airport in Andrews, North Carolina, located 11 miles northeast of the accident site, reported at 1039: wind calm, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 27°C, dew point 21°C, and altimeter 30.25 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Both blades of the wood propeller separated at the base of the crankshaft attachment point. Both wings of the bi-wing structure were bent and distorted from impact forces. The cockpit section was crushed inward and distorted. The engine and cockpit area incurred thermal damage from the fire. Several sections of fabric skin were burned away. Most of the empennage structure remained intact.
The responding FAA inspector established flight control continuity to all flight controls. The engine examination did not reveal any discrepancies that would have prevented the engine from producing power.
Medical and Pathological Information
The North Carolina Baptist Hospitals, Inc., Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, conducted a postmortem examination. The cause of death was blunt force trauma along with thermal injuries.
Postmortem toxicology tests performed by the FAA Forensic Toxicology Laboratory were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs. The tests were positive for acetaminophen.