History of Flight
On October 8, 2009, at approximately 1305 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-12, registration N2087C, crashed after lifting off from Runway 28 at Skagit Regional Airport in Burlington, Washington. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was killed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The local flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed.
The pilot had been rebuilding the airplane over the prior six months. He brought the aircraft to the airport on a trailer within two weeks of the accident. His plan was to complete the rebuild and have it inspected by an A&P/IA mechanic. However, no final inspection had been completed.
About 90 minutes before the accident, the pilot asked two other pilots for assistance with a fuel tank vent tube. He told them his goal was to perform an engine run, not a taxi test or flight. After an initial engine run, he later taxied to the runway, performed a brief or no run-up, and took off with a short roll.
Witnesses reported the initial liftoff appeared normal, but the nose then pitched up to a near-vertical attitude. The airplane climbed to between 150 and 200 feet, then slowed, fell off on the right wing, and descended nearly vertically into grass terrain. The engine sounded like it was at full power until impact. A small fire started but was quickly extinguished.
Personnel Information
The 69-year-old private pilot held ratings for airplane single-engine land and sea. His most recent FAA medical was in May 2009, at which time he reported about 3,500 flight hours. No records were found indicating when he completed his last flight review. Toxicology tests detected diphenhydramine in his blood and liver, but no other substances.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted level grassy terrain about 50 feet beyond the north edge of Runway 28, approximately 1,100 feet west of the threshold. The engine and firewall were forced into the cockpit. The propeller separated from the crankshaft. Both wings were crushed aft, and the right wing was more severely damaged. The empennage was twisted.
Flight control continuity checks revealed that the elevator control cables were connected to the incorrect horns, resulting in reversed elevator control inputs. Pushing the control stick forward caused the elevator trailing edge to move up (instead of down), and pulling it aft caused the trailing edge to move down. No other structural or mechanical anomalies were found.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy attributed death to blunt force injuries. Toxicology was negative for alcohol, carbon monoxide, and cyanide. Diphenhydramine was detected at 0.135 µg/ml in blood and in the liver. The pilot had not reported any medications on his medical application.
Additional Information
The A&P/IA mechanic who had previously worked with the pilot stated that he had found incorrectly connected flight controls on two other airplanes the pilot had rebuilt. He also noted that the pilot had a history of performing "fast taxi tests" without prior inspection, despite warnings. No maintenance logbooks or flight logs were located.
The NTSB did not take possession of the wreckage; it was returned to the pilot's hangar.