History of Flight
On March 13, 2010, about 1700 Alaska daylight time, a ski-equipped Antares MA-32 experimental light sport weight-shift-control aircraft (commonly referred to as a Trike), registration N7JQ, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain about 2 miles north of Birchwood Airport, Chugiak, Alaska. The aircraft was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) local flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The solo private pilot died as a result of the accident. The departure time from the airport is unknown, and no flight plan or flight following procedures were in effect.
There were no known witnesses to the actual impact. On March 14, a law enforcement officer with the Alaska Railroad interviewed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) stated that a passing train engineer had seen a flashing light on the west side of the railroad track about 2 miles north of Birchwood Airport around 0800. The officer found the aircraft and the deceased pilot at the site; the flashing light was an anti-collision strobe light attached to the nose of the aircraft.
A friend of the pilot said the pilot had left home on March 13 to go cross-country skiing and was reported missing when he did not return. Another friend said the pilot had told him he planned to fly the trike after skiing, and that friend suspected he would return about 1700.
Injuries
The solo pilot died as a result of the accident.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft received substantial damage from impact with terrain.
Personnel Information
The 54-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a weight-shift-control rating and an experimental light sport repair and inspection certificate. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on May 28, 2009, with a limitation for corrective lenses. According to his personal flight logbook, he had 233 hours of powered aircraft flight experience. He logged 3 hours in the trike in June 2009 and 1.5 hours in August 2009; no other powered aircraft flight time was logged. A friend stated the accident flight was his first flight of 2010.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was an experimental light sport Antares MA-32 weight-shift-control aircraft. According to FAA records, the pilot purchased it in August 2007. The pilot attended a certified maintenance course in June 2006 and obtained a repair and inspection certificate for weight-shift-control aircraft. The last record of the required annual condition inspection was dated September 2007, completed by the previous owner, showing 259.4 hours of use. There was no record of a current annual condition inspection. According to friends, the pilot had replaced the original engine with a more powerful 100-horsepower engine.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather reporting station was at Birchwood Airport, about 2 miles southwest of the accident location. The automated observation at 1656 ADT reported calm wind, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, altimeter 29.35 inches of mercury, temperature 18°F, and dew point 9°F.
Communications
There were no known communications with the airplane. The aircraft was equipped with a 121.5 MHz emergency locator transmitter (ELT), which was found operational but with its ON/OFF switch in the off position at the accident site.
Wreckage and Impact Information
On March 14, 2010, the NTSB IIC and an FAA aviation safety inspector examined the wreckage. The accident site was in a small snow-covered clearing northeast of Birchwood Airport, oriented north/south with a railroad track along the east edge and steep terrain to the east. The western edge was bounded by a tree line atop a bluff. The wreckage was next to the tree line on the west side, and the deceased pilot was about 10 feet south of the wreckage.
The aircraft was a rear-engine (pusher) weight-shift-control aircraft with tricycle landing gear fitted with snow skis. It had impacted terrain backwards, with the pusher engine partially buried in snow. All major components and control surfaces were present. The nose pointed west, upward about 50 degrees. The single articulated wing lay behind the fuselage/carriage, folded in half, with large tears in the fabric and a fractured center nose fitting. The lower carriage frame was broken on both sides where frame tubes had been drilled for engine linkages. All upper flying wires were intact; the lower strut wires were intact and attached. The center control tube was broken in half with a severed internal safety wire. The composite three-bladed propeller was intact with minor leading edge damage. Fuel was present in the engine and fuel tank.
The IIC noted that the distance between aircraft and pilot, lack of snow marks, and pilot injuries were consistent with the pilot separating from the aircraft before impact. The aircraft had automotive-style lap belts and shoulder harnesses with plastic push-button buckles. The pilot’s lap buckle had come apart.
The aircraft was originally constructed in 2001 as a two-place ultralight trainer under CFR Part 103. With the advent of light sport category aircraft in 2008, it was transitioned to an experimental light sport category (ELSA) aircraft, which had no standard for occupant restraint systems.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination conducted on March 15, 2010, attributed the cause of death to multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological examination by the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute on April 22, 2010, showed acetaminophen and ibuprofen in the urine.
Additional Information
During discussions with weight-shift-control aircraft pilots and associates, the topic of an aerodynamic tumble was raised. The tumble mode is a peculiarity of these aircraft, involving a departure from controlled flight leading to nose-down pitch autorotation. A 1997 study by the United Kingdom's Air Accidents Investigations Branch was reviewed, and the IIC noted that many results of the tumble were present in the accident aircraft.
A digital video camera recovered from the accident site several weeks later was reviewed on June 3, 2010. The camera had been mounted on the forward support strut. The video showed the aircraft flying at low altitude over snow-covered flats, making a steep climbing right turn to the east. During the climb at a very steep angle, the bank angle approached 90 degrees. The climb then stopped, and the nose fell rapidly through the horizon. A frame-by-frame review showed the windscreen pushed forward and to the left before the nose fell. The camera mount broke, and the camera departed the aircraft but continued recording as it fell alongside. The video showed the pilot separate from the aircraft above treetops estimated at 40–60 feet tall.