History of Flight
On November 29, 2009, at about 1145 EST, an experimental, amateur-built Cox Busby Mustang N72PC, registered to a private individual, struck trees and then the ground during a forced landing after a loss of engine power near Plant City, Florida. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions with no flight plan filed, as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and one passenger were killed.
The flight originated from Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), Sarasota, Florida, around 1035. According to the FAA inspector-in-charge, after takeoff from SRQ, the pilot landed at Wauchula Municipal Airport (CHN) and fueled the airplane from a self-service 100LL pump. Departing CHN about 1124, the flight proceeded toward Plant City. Two witnesses near the crash site reported hearing the engine sputter; one stated the airplane flew low with a rough-running engine, then the engine stopped and the propeller ceased rotation. The airplane pitched nose-down, descended through trees, and impacted the ground.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 53, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating issued June 12, 2005, and a third-class medical certificate dated August 8, 2008, with a limitation to have glasses available for near vision. His logbook, from October 30, 2004, to November 27, 2009, showed a total flight time of about 385 hours, with approximately 306 hours as pilot-in-command and about 227 hours in the accident airplane (213 as PIC). His last flight review was conducted on January 3, 2009, in the accident airplane, lasting 1.1 hours.
Aircraft Information
The amateur-built airplane was manufactured on June 14, 1972, as a Bushby Mustang, serial number M-231. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320 engine rated at 160 horsepower, equipped with a two-bladed Sensenich fixed-pitch propeller. Maintenance records indicated the airplane was removed from storage in March 2004 with a total time of 2,490.6 hours; the last logbook entry was a condition inspection on January 14, 2009, with total time at the accident about 2,722 hours. The pilot's wife reported that the pilot had capped the supply line from the left wingtip fuel tank due to a problem.
Meteorological Information
A surface observation at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport at 1150, about five minutes after the accident, reported wind calm, visibility 15 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 22°C, dew point 9°C, and altimeter 30.11 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The crash site was in a wooded area at approximately 27°56'23"N, 082°03'37"W, about 3.7 nautical miles southwest of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. Examination revealed both wings and the left horizontal stabilizer separated at their attachment points; the right horizontal stabilizer with elevator and the vertical stabilizer with rudder remained attached. Impact damage precluded determination of flight control continuity, but no preimpact failure or malfunction was reported.
The cockpit had two fuel selectors: one under the pilot's seat for the wingtip tanks, and one behind the instrument panel for the main tanks. The selector behind the panel was in the on position with no defects. The selector under the seat showed no detent when selecting positions, and in the off position, fuel flowed from all ports.
Engine examination found the crankshaft fractured in the radius of the flange. Rotating the engine by hand showed crankshaft, camshaft, and valve train continuity. Magnetos were properly timed and produced spark. No discrepancies were noted in the cylinders. The carburetor bowl had slight contamination, consistent in color with sealing compound from the wingtip fuel tanks, and red flecks were found in the carburetor throat. The lubrication system showed no preimpact failure. One breached wingtip tank contained red sealing compound.
The propeller had one blade bent aft and the other slightly bent aft; no leading edge damage or chordwise scratches were observed.
Medical and Pathological Information
Postmortem examinations of the pilot and passenger were performed by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department. The cause of death for the pilot was blunt impacts to the head with skull fractures; for the passenger, blunt impacts with injuries including long bone fractures and lacerations. Forensic toxicology by the FAA and the Medical Examiner Department was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and tested drugs. Carboxyhemoglobin levels were 5% saturation in the pilot's peripheral blood and 2% in the passenger's heart blood.