Accident Details
On October 5, 2009, at approximately 1250 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Case RV-6, registration N455RC, experienced a loss of control in flight and collided with trees near Magnolia, North Carolina. The private pilot was killed and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 with a visual flight rules flight plan filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight departed from Wilmington International Airport (ILM), Wilmington, North Carolina at 1227, destined for Franklin County Airport (LHZ), Louisburg, North Carolina.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 62, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and sea. His certificate was issued on April 13, 2008. The most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued January 22, 2009, with a limitation for corrective lenses. A review of the pilot's logbook revealed 270 flight hours total time and 30 flight hours in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear airplane was manufactured in 2007. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160-horsepower engine. The aircraft logbook indicated that the last annual inspection was conducted on August 19, 2009, at a total time of 93 hours.
Weather and Communications
According to Wilmington ATCT personnel, the pilot radioed at 1232 requesting to divert west to avoid rain. The controller acknowledged and approved the deviation. At 1246, the pilot contacted Seymour Johnson Airforce approach control and reported being "in the thick of the weather." At 1248, radar contact showed the airplane at 1,500 feet, circling before disappearing from radar. The ILM 1248 weather observation reported: winds 020° at 7 knots, visibility 7 miles in light rain, ceiling 300 feet broken, 2,500 feet broken, 7,000 feet overcast, with rain and mist, temperature 17°C, dew point 16°C, and altimeter 30.07 inHg. According to FAA ATC service personnel, there were no records of communication with FSS or DUATS entries prior to the flight.
Witness Statement
A witness reported seeing the airplane spinning out of the clouds toward the ground. As it spun, the engine made a sputtering noise before impact. The witness noted that it was raining heavily at the time.
Wreckage and Mechanical Examination
Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed the airplane collided with heavy brush. Examination of the airframe and flight control system components found no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. The recovered engine and system components also showed no preimpact mechanical malfunction. The propeller blades exhibited chordwise scoring across the leading edge and forward face.
Medical and Toxicology
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, conducted a postmortem examination on October 7, 2009. The cause of death was reported as massive trauma with crush injury and multiple fractures. Forensic toxicology performed by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected no ethanol in the liver or muscle, and no drugs in the liver.