History of Flight
On March 18, 2010, at 1300 central daylight time, an experimental Sea Rey airplane, N100JW, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain shortly after takeoff from Huntsville Municipal Airport (H34) in Huntsville, Arkansas. The private pilot/registered owner was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
A witness reported that the pilot initially departed on Runway 30, broke ground, flew over the runway for approximately 2,000 feet, and then landed back on the runway. The pilot taxied back to the departure end of Runway 30 and departed again. When the airplane was adjacent to a windsock located on the runway, it made a "real sharp right turn" over a parking area. The airplane then turned southeast before making another right-hand turn and experiencing a "stall/spin accident." The witness stated the airplane went inverted and hit the ground at a 45-degree angle.
Another witness, located at a park near the airport, first noticed the airplane "low to the ground" with wings "tipping left and right." The engine was "running." As the airplane continued toward a large recycling center, it did not appear to gain altitude, and the wings "really tipped left and right or vice versa then it suddenly pointed straight down and crashed." A third witness at the recycling center also observed the airplane in a "nearly straight down" descent before impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land and sea. His last Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical was issued on November 18, 2008, at which time he reported a total of 1,000 flight hours. A review of his personal logbooks revealed a total of 407 hours as of February 12, 2010; however, when re-calculated, the hours totaled 358.3. No entries reflected time in the accident airplane, but the pilot's father stated his son had accumulated approximately 15 hours in the accident airplane at the time of the accident.
Meteorological Information
Weather at Drake Field Airport (FYV) in Fayetteville, Arkansas, approximately 20 miles west of Huntsville, at 1253, was reported as wind from 190 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 9,000 feet, temperature 13 degrees Celsius, dewpoint 03 degrees Celsius, and a barometric pressure setting of 30.13 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
An FAA inspector performed an on-scene examination of the airplane and reported that the nose of the airplane was on the ground and the tail was extended in the air. Flight control continuity was established for all flight controls. All three composite propeller blades had snapped off, but the ends of the blades were still tight to the hub.
The pilot's father, who had extensive experience in building and flying experimental aircraft including the Sea Rey, reported that he spoke with his son the day before the accident. His son mentioned how well the airplane was flying and that he had been adjusting the propeller pitch for additional performance. The pilot's father also conducted an examination of the airplane after the accident and reported that "there was not one thing wrong with it" and "the plane was fine."
The airplane's last condition inspection was completed on January 26, 2009. The special airworthiness certificate, aircraft identification plate, and the experimental aircraft operating limitations for operating an amateur-built airplane were not on board the airplane at the time of the accident.
Medical and Pathological Information
Toxicological testing conducted by the FAA's Medical Laboratory in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, found the pilot's blood positive for acetaminophen, and his blood, liver, and kidney positive for chlorpheniramine, dextromethorphan, and dextrorphan.
An autopsy conducted on March 22, 2010, by the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory in Little Rock, Arkansas, determined the cause of death to be multiple injuries as a result of an accident.
Additional Information
The pilot had a spider bite approximately six weeks prior to the accident, which family members reported was from a brown recluse and was quite painful, tender, and interfered substantially with his ability to sleep. Medical records documented the bite and a prescription for methylprednisolone and doxycycline on February 4, 2010. Family reported deep dark circles under the pilot's eyes. He was noted to have typically worked a night-time shift schedule, though he had not worked the three nights prior to the accident. Multiple over-the-counter medications were found in his automobile following the accident, including three multi-symptom cold medications each containing acetaminophen and dextromethorphan along with phenylephrine alone, phenylephrine and chlorpheniramine, or doxylamine.
Toxicology staff at the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute noted that paperwork accompanying toxicology samples indicated the blood source to be "pleural cavity."