History of Flight
On March 5, 2010, at 0857 eastern standard time, an Evektor-Aerotechnik AS Sportstar Plus, registration N930LA, impacted terrain near Marysville, Ohio. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The sport pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The flight had departed Greenwood Municipal Airport (HFY), Indianapolis, Indiana, at 0716 and was destined for New Castle Municipal Airport (UCP), New Castle, Pennsylvania.
According to an employee of a fixed base operator at HFY, the pilot asked about self-serve fuel pumps, which were being serviced, and requested the airplane be topped off. The employee added 3.8 gallons of 100 low-lead (100LL) fuel to the left fuel tank. A fuel service form dated March 4, 2010, at 1345 indicated the airplane had been serviced with 3.8 gallons of 100LL.
The pilot's flight instructor reported that the pilot had mentioned the trip to Pennsylvania but did not specify a reason. The pilot did not reserve the airplane through the Greenwood Flying Club’s online scheduling system, though two other club members had reserved it for the day at 1000 and 1100 or 1130. The airplane was not present when those pilots arrived for their flights. The instructor noted it was unusual for the pilot not to schedule.
No records showed the pilot contacting Flight Service or the Direct User Access Terminal Service on March 4 or 5, 2010, for weather information or to file a flight plan. An Alert Notice (ALNOT) for an overdue aircraft was issued at 1444 due to a family concern. The expected arrival time at UCP was 1030.
Personnel Information
The pilot was issued a sport pilot certificate on November 5, 2008, after passing an airman exam in an Evektor Sportstar. At that time, his total flight time was 86.5 hours. His logbook contained entries from June 7, 2007, to March 1, 2010. The last entry, on March 1, 2010, recorded a 1.0-hour flight in N30LA from HFY to HFY with four landings, all of which were actual instrument time (1.0 hours) with a flight instructor. The remarks noted "practice & maneuvers." The pilot's total flight time at the last entry was 186.1 hours, including 1.0 hours in actual instrument conditions.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was an Evektor-Aerotechnik AS Sportstar Plus, serial number 20070930, certified as a Light Sport Aircraft on November 1, 2007. It was powered by a Rotax 912ULS engine, serial number 5648799. The aircraft was registered to Greenwood Flying Club LLC on July 1, 2009.
The aircraft logbooks were not located by investigators or recovery personnel. A mechanic who had worked on the airplane provided invoices and maintenance entries dating from February 10, 2008, to November 13, 2009. The November 13, 2009, entry noted an annual condition inspection at a total time of 509.0 hours, and a separate 100-hour condition inspection stated the engine was “found to be in a condition for safe flight.”
Meteorological Information
AIRMET Sierra update 3, issued at 0708, advised of instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions over Ohio, including areas from 20 nm southwest of Erie, Pennsylvania, to 20 nm west northwest of Bellaire, Ohio, to 30 nm south of Appleton, Ohio, to Rosewood, Ohio, to 40 nm south southeast of Detroit, Michigan, to 20 nm southwest of Erie, Pennsylvania. The advisory was for ceilings below 1,000 feet and/or visibility below 3 statute miles with mist, conditions ending at 1000.
Automated weather observations at Union County Airport (MRT), Marysville, Ohio, recorded: at 0454–0634, visibility 10 sm, sky clear; at 0654, visibility 10 sm, scattered at 400 feet agl; at 0714, visibility 10 sm, broken at 400 feet agl; at 0834, visibility 1 sm, overcast at 200 feet agl; at 0854, visibility 4 sm, overcast at 200 feet agl. At Port Columbus International Airport (CMH), about 25 nm southeast of MRT, observations at 0827 and 0851 showed visibility 9 and 8 sm, respectively, with overcast at 600 feet agl. A terminal area forecast amendment issued at 0547 forecast temporary conditions from 0600 to 0900 with visibility 3 sm, mist, and broken clouds at 300 feet agl.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located about 4.1 nm on a 145.4-degree magnetic bearing from MRT on a snow-covered agricultural field. The debris path was approximately 280 feet long, oriented east-west. Near the eastern edge, a ground scar contained propeller pieces with impressions consistent with the right wing and a portion of the left wing leading edge. The right wing impression was on the east side, left wing on the west, both oriented approximately perpendicular to north. A separated piece of the left wing was nearby. The left and right wing sections were separated from the fuselage and resting inverted about 100 feet west of the propeller pieces. Both wings were bent rearward into a V-shape, with the right wing tip facing north. The engine was separated from the fuselage and located between the propeller pieces and the wing. The fuselage with attached empennage was upright about 10 feet west of the wing. Wing leading edges displayed inward crushing at an estimated 80–90 degrees.
Flight control continuity was confirmed. Examination of the airplane instrument system revealed no anomalies. The engine underwent a disassembly examination at Rotech Flight Safety Ltd., which found no evidence precluding normal engine operation.
The pilot's logbook was found in a bag along the debris path.
Medical Information
The FAA's Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report for the pilot detected chlorpheniramine (lung, kidney), hydrocodone (lung, kidney), irbesartan (lung, kidney), phentermine (lung, kidney), and temazepam (kidney, lung). Review of the pilot's medical records indicated a history of diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insomnia, possible obstructive sleep apnea, possible glaucoma, LASIK surgery, cataract surgery, and nasal allergies. Medications included glyburide, sitagliptin, exenatide, niacin, ezetemibe/simvastatin, irbesartan/hydrochlorothiazide, and a prior prescription for temazepam. No prescriptions for phentermine were noted. The pilot's last recorded weight (September 30, 2009) was 258 pounds, height 71 inches. An exercise stress test in January 2006 showed no abnormalities.
On October 20, 2009, the pilot was seen for cough and shortness of breath, and a prescription for extended-release hydrocodone/chlorpheniramine syrup was filled on October 13, 2009, with refills on December 13, 2009, and March 4, 2010. The March 4, 2010, refill was found in the wreckage, along with a nasal decongestant spray, nasal steroid spray, and over-the-counter chlorpheniramine tablets. The bottle of hydrocodone/chlorpheniramine syrup was labeled with the brand name Tussionex and did not list chlorpheniramine as a component. Labels included warnings such as "May cause blurred vision," "May make you drowsy/dizzy," and "Use care with car-machines."
The autopsy report noted that "the majority of the internal organs are severely lacerated and displaced from their normal anatomic positions."
Tests and Research
A printed page from NavMonster.com, dated March 4, 2010, was recovered at the accident site. It showed a route from HFY to UCP, distance 273 nm, initial true course 070 degrees, estimated time en route 2 hours 16 minutes at 120 knots (no winds).
Radar data for a possible track with squawk 1200 indicated: at about 0846, the airplane was about 11 nm west of MRT at 5,400 feet on an easterly track; at about 0853, about 0.8 nm northeast of MRT at 3,300 feet on an easterly-southeasterly track; at about 0854, 3.5 nm east-southeast at 1,800 feet, decreasing to 1,100 feet over 10 seconds on a southerly track; about 2 minutes later, the track became southwesterly and then returned to southerly.
A GPS receiver recovered from the wreckage recorded its last four data points about 4 nm southeast of MRT. The first point showed altitude 1,719 feet, ground speed 100 knots, track 173.5 degrees. The subsequent three points showed altitude decreasing to 1,423 feet, ground speed varying from 102 to 131 knots, and track increasing from 179.6 to 227.7 degrees.