Accident Overview
On April 4, 2010, about 1337 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Center X-5, registration N25761, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain after departing from a private field in Ghent, New York. The certificated private pilot and a passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight destined for Pittsfield Municipal Airport (PSF) in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Witness Account
According to a witness who was a friend of the pilot, the pilot initially departed from Kline Kill Airport (NY1) and landed on a half-mile-long private field for a lunch gathering. After lunch, the pilot and a passenger took a brief sightseeing flight and returned to the same field. About 45 minutes later, the pilot boarded the airplane with another passenger to depart the area. The witness observed the pilot check flight controls and throttle the engine up and down before taxiing to the end of the field and beginning the takeoff roll immediately. As the airplane climbed, it slowed until it appeared to "hang in the air," then banked left, pitched down, and impacted the ground. The engine sound was smooth and continuous throughout the climb until impact. The airplane struck the ground "hard" and immediately caught fire.
Pilot Information
A review of FAA airman records showed the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane. His flight logs were not available. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued May 8, 2009, on which he reported 3,200 total flight hours. He answered "No" to questions about medication use and mental disorders but noted orthopedic surgical procedures on his left knee and right shoulder from extreme sports injuries. Personal medical records revealed a history of musculoskeletal injuries from outdoor activities and extreme sports, including a low back injury from a fall from a horse in November 2008, a right shoulder injury, and a ruptured left knee tendon from a downhill skiing accident in February 2009. He also had gouty arthritis. Between 2007 and 2009, he received prescriptions for the narcotic oxycodone for gout and other injuries. His records showed a history of panic attacks beginning in August 2008, with sadness and depression. He was prescribed sertraline in October 2008 and lorazepam in June 2009. Pharmacy records from a single chain showed oxycodone prescriptions filled twice in 2006, three times in 2007, twice in 2008, four times in 2009, and none in 2010. On March 23, 2010, the pilot requested oxycodone for gout but was denied and advised to use a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent. His last filled prescription from that chain was on May 20, 2009; whether he obtained narcotics elsewhere is unknown.
Medical and Pathological Findings
Autopsies performed at St. Peter's Bender Laboratory, Albany, New York, listed the cause of death for both occupants as "multiple traumatic injuries." FAA toxicological testing detected ethanol in the pilot's blood (57 mg/dL), urine (66 mg/dL), and liver (70 mg/dL). Federal Aviation Regulations prohibit operating an aircraft with a blood ethanol level above 40 mg/dL. The samples showed evidence of post-mortem putrefaction, but the serotonin metabolite ratio of 4436 pmol/nmol indicated alcohol consumption within 16 hours of death. Oxycodone, an opioid narcotic, was found in the pilot's blood at 0.235 µg/mL (therapeutic range 0.013–0.099 µg/mL). The drug is known to impair mental and/or physical abilities for hazardous tasks. Sertraline, an antidepressant, was detected at 0.112 µg/mL (therapeutic range 0.010–0.200 µg/mL).
Wreckage and Impact
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage with New York State Police assistance. The initial impact point was a ground scar about 6 feet long by 2 feet wide, located approximately 1,600 feet southeast of the takeoff point on a magnetic heading of 120 degrees. The main wreckage came to rest about 10 feet from the impact point, oriented about 020 degrees magnetic. The airplane sustained extensive impact and post-impact fire damage, with most wreckage within a 50-foot-diameter area except the left main landing gear, found about 300 feet northwest of the main wreckage. Flight control continuity was traced from both control sticks to the surfaces. A small adjustable wrench was found in the cabin area, but its pre-impact position could not be determined. The engine was at the forward portion of the wreckage; the propeller flange had separated from the crankshaft. One propeller blade showed 180-degree tip curling starting about two-thirds of its span, while the opposite blade exhibited s-bending and chordwise scratching. The engine accessory section was heavily damaged by impact and fire and was not examined.