History of Flight
On August 26, 2009, about 1950 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-15, N4585H, was destroyed when it struck the ground near Lakeview Airport-Griffith Field (13C), Lakeview, Michigan. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight, conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, was practicing takeoffs and landings on runway 09 (3,500 feet by 75 feet, asphalt). The local flight departed about 1945. A witness reported seeing the airplane flying east from the airport, then banking left and diving "as if it was dusting crops" before impacting the ground and bursting into flames.
Personnel Information
The 47-year-old pilot held a student pilot certificate and owned the accident airplane, in which he had been receiving flight instruction. His most recent solo endorsement was on August 8, 2009. No further flight experience details were available. He held a third-class medical certificate issued June 16, 2008, requiring corrective lenses and glasses for near vision.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 1948 Piper PA-15 Vagabond, serial number 15-356. It was a single-engine, propeller-driven, high-wing monoplane with a conventional (taildragger) landing gear. The wings were of aluminum construction with fabric covering; the fuselage and tail were steel tube with fabric covering. It was powered by a Continental A-65 engine rated at 65 horsepower.
Meteorological Information
At 1956, weather recorded at Roben-Hood Airport in Big Rapids, Michigan, about 19 nautical miles northwest, included calm winds, visibility of 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 20°C, dew point 15°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.13 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
The publicly owned Lakeview Airport-Griffith Field, located about one mile northeast of Lakeview, had a single asphalt runway (09/27) measuring 3,500 feet by 75 feet.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage came to rest approximately 0.7 miles at 070 degrees from the departure end of runway 09. The wreckage path was oriented north. The initial impact point was about 50 feet south of the main wreckage, measuring 1 foot deep and 6 feet wide. A second ground scar, consistent with the wingspan, was 10 feet north. The main wreckage was upright; all fabric covering had burned off. Both wing leading edges exhibited rearward crushing across their entire span. The fuselage tube structure was crushed, with the tail surfaces folded beneath. The forward fuselage was partially separated and found under the main fuselage. Control cable continuity was confirmed from the surfaces to the cockpit. The engine was under the forward and main fuselage; its propeller remained attached. Propeller blades showed chordwise scratching and polishing. One blade was bent aft around the engine underside; the other was straight except for a slight forward bend near the tip. The engine accessories and aft portion sustained thermal damage; the carburetor body was fractured and separated. The engine could not be rotated due to physical damage. No pre-impact deficiencies were found in the airframe, engine, or control system.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted on August 27, 2009, at Carson City Hospital listed the cause of death as massive trauma secondary to a light plane crash. A Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report by the FAA detected 12 mg/dL ethanol in vitreous fluid, with no ethanol in urine, muscle, brain, or blood. The report noted the ethanol originated from sources other than ingestion.