History of Flight
On December 25, 2009, at approximately 1455 central eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Davis Long EZ, registration N499CM, was destroyed by fire after impacting terrain in Dexter, Kentucky. The pilot was killed. The flight originated from Grayson County Airport (M20) in Leitchfield, Kentucky, at about 1440, with an intended destination of Unity City, Tennessee. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions with no flight plan filed, as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91.
A witness reported observing the airplane flying north before it performed a hard bank with the right wing high, which appeared to be an aerobatic maneuver. She kept the airplane in sight for about 30 seconds before witnessing a large, orange, mushroom-like explosion. She drove to the wreckage, which came to rest at a private residence, and contacted authorities. The airplane had impacted trees and came to rest flat on the ground between the residence's driveway and an east-west row of trees. The witness described the weather as overcast, windy, and with small snow flurries.
Relatives of the pilot stated to the FAA that they had expressed concerns about the weather, but the pilot was adamant about flying. The pilot's brother had previously expressed concern about the fuel lines, believing the pilot may have caused stress fractures during installation. He reported smelling fuel in the cockpit at various power settings during a previous flight, but was unsure if the problem had been resolved.
Aircraft Information
The composite-construction, two-place tandem Davis Long EZ was issued a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental amateur-built category on June 29, 2009. The last inspection was performed on June 27, 2009, at a total airframe time of 3.4 hours. The rear-mounted Lycoming O-320-E2D engine, equipped with a single ignition system, had a total time in service of 1,800 hours at installation. The last maintenance was performed on August 26, 2009, at a total airframe time of 38.0 hours. Examination of maintenance records revealed no unresolved discrepancies prior to departure.
Meteorological Conditions
The nearest official weather reporting station, Campbell Army Airfield in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, located about 40 miles east, reported at 1455: winds from 220 degrees at 15 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, overcast clouds at 2,400 feet, temperature 0°C, dew point -5°C, and altimeter 29.78 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact
Examination of the accident site showed the airplane's initial contact near the top of a row of 30-foot-tall trees. A section of the left wing separated and came to rest partially intact on a driveway several feet from the trees. The remaining structure impacted the ground upside-down, flat, about 50 feet from the initial tree contact point. A post-crash fire consumed the main wreckage. The wreckage energy path was toward the east. Debris and navigational charts were scattered near the main wreckage and in surrounding trees. Only the engine and several metal components were distinguishable in the burnt wreckage. One of the two composite propeller blades remained intact on the propeller flange with thermal damage; the other was consumed by fire. No propeller slash marks were found.
Post-recovery engine examination established drive train continuity. The #2 and #4 cylinders did not hold compression, and the #1 cylinder bottom spark plug produced a weak spark. The oil screen and carburetor fuel filter were clean, and the fuel line micro filter had no significant debris. The single magneto's P-lead terminal end was worn and had been making contact with a fabric-covered steel braid oil cooler hose, causing chafing that exposed the metal layer of the hose.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Louisville, Kentucky, attributed the cause of death to smoke inhalation and perimortem thermal injuries. Toxicological tests performed by the FAA Forensic Toxicology Laboratory were negative for ethanol and drugs, but positive for carbon monoxide and cyanide.