History of Flight
On March 5, 2010, at about 1030 eastern standard time, a Luscombe 8A, registration N45976, was substantially damaged when it crashed into a pond shortly after departing Hodges Field (GA39) in Savannah, Georgia. The commercial pilot and owner, operating under sport pilot privileges, was fatally injured. The flight was local and personal, conducted under visual meteorological conditions per 14 CFR Part 91.
A witness reported arriving at the airfield as the pilot prepared to hand-prop the engine. The witness offered to perform the hand start, and the pilot entered the cockpit. The engine started on the second attempt and functioned normally. Before departure, the pilot stated he planned to fly for about 45 minutes near the field. The airplane taxied to runway 12; the takeoff appeared "a little wobbly, but quite normal considering the breezy conditions." The witness observed nothing unusual.
The witness left before the pilot's expected return. Later that day, friends and family notified authorities of the pilot's absence. On March 6, the airplane was found submerged in a pond approximately 100 yards from the departure end of runway 12.
Personnel Information
FAA records showed the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, glider, and instrument ratings. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued in June 1990, at which time he reported 1,700 flight hours. A recovered logbook contained omissions and errors; his estimated total flight experience was 2,055 hours, with the last flight logged on January 6, 2009. No flights in the accident airplane were recorded. The pilot also held a repairman experimental aircraft builder certificate and a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings, the latter obtained on February 5, 2010. He was operating under sport pilot rules, which did not require a current medical certificate but only a valid driver's license.
Aircraft Information
The Luscombe 8A was manufactured in 1946 and had accrued 1,617 total aircraft hours. Its most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on February 26, 2010, at the same hour reading. Maintenance records indicated the pilot/owner had performed extensive maintenance, overhaul, and modification work on both airframe and engine in preceding months. The airplane's maximum allowable gross weight was 1,260 pounds, below the light sport category limit of 1,320 pounds.
Meteorological Information
At 1053, weather reported at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, 8 miles north, included clear skies, wind from 200 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 11°C, dew point -7°C, and altimeter setting 30.15 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane was recovered from the pond. An on-site examination revealed substantial damage to the nose cowling, firewall, fuselage, wings, and empennage. One propeller blade was intact; the other was fractured from near the root to the tip. The fuel tank was full. Both wings were displaced aft with uniform crushing along their spans. Control continuity was established from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces. The engine was rotated by hand, confirming continuity from powertrain to valvetrain, and compression was verified. The examination was then suspended, and the airplane was moved to a recovery facility in Atlanta, Georgia.
On March 24, 2010, an engine examination in Atlanta, supervised by an FAA inspector, found top spark plugs with normal wear. Borescope inspection of cylinders revealed normal wear and deposits. Timing was confirmed on the right magneto but not on the left. Both magnetos were removed; rotating their driveshafts produced no spark. Disassembly showed water and corrosion inside both magnetos. The carburetor, separated from the engine, displayed impact damage but its throttle and carburetor heat controls operated smoothly. The metal float and needle valve moved freely; the bowl, venturi, and fuel jet were clean and free of debris. The engine oil screen contained a large quantity of metal flakes and carbon-type deposits coated with clear oil.
Medical and Pathological Findings
The autopsy, performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, determined the cause of death as blunt force injury with drowning. Other significant conditions noted were arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease and hypertensive heart disease.
Toxicological testing by the FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected the following substances in blood and urine: amitriptylene (112 ug/ml), nortriptylene (0.049 ug/ml), meprobamate (0.85 ug/ml), tramadol (9.922 ug/ml), and carisoprodol. Amitriptylene and nortriptylene are commonly prescribed as antidepressants; meprobamate as an anti-anxiety medication and muscle relaxant; carisoprodol as a muscle relaxant; and tramadol for moderate to severe pain, often associated with arthritis.
In a telephone interview, a family representative stated that the pilot's widow had no knowledge of his medical history, physicians, or where medications were obtained. The family believed he may have received treatment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but written and verbal requests for those records yielded no results.