History of Flight
On May 23, 2010, at 0927 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built RV-8A, registration N456DG, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in Sebring, Florida. The certificated private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL), Lakeland, Florida, with a destination of Sebring Regional Airport (SEF), Sebring, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The accident aircraft was part of a flight of six aircraft traveling from LAL to SEF for breakfast. According to pilots of the other aircraft, the accident airplane was the fourth to depart from LAL. Once in the SEF area, the accident pilot reported his position as "10 miles out" on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), behind the first three pilots. Around the same time, a pilot of a "twin Comanche" reported inbound from ten miles south, and a pilot of a "Cessna" reported inbound from eight miles north. The first three aircraft landed at SEF, and after taxiing off the runway, their pilots noticed the twin Comanche where the accident airplane should have been in the traffic pattern. After all other aircraft landed and the accident airplane did not arrive, airport personnel notified the pilots of an airplane accident in the vicinity.
Radar data revealed the accident airplane flew in a relatively straight line toward SEF. It initiated a slight descent when about 5 nautical miles from SEF, leveling off at 1,000 feet at 13:16:40. At 13:17:52, the airplane performed a 200-foot climb over 24 seconds, followed by a rapid descent. The final radar hit indicated an altitude of 500 feet, about 200 yards (0.13 nautical miles) from the accident site. Radar also showed the track of another airplane crossing the accident airplane's track at the same altitude, separated by about one minute.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, as well as a repairman/experimental aircraft builder certificate. His most recent third-class FAA medical certificate was issued on January 7, 2009, at which time he reported 202 hours of total flight experience. The pilot's family was unable to locate his logbook.
Aircraft Information
The pilot built the airplane from a kit purchased from Vans Aircraft in 2005. The aircraft received its airworthiness certificate on June 27, 2006. It was a low-wing, single-engine airplane powered by a Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180-horsepower engine. According to manufacturer performance specifications, cruise speed at 75% power was 203 miles per hour, and stall speed was 58 miles per hour. At the time of the report, aircraft and engine logbooks were not located.
Meteorological Information
Weather recorded at Okeechobee Airport (OBE), 29 miles southeast of the accident site, at 0928, included wind from 040 degrees at 7 knots, 10 miles visibility, scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, temperature 27°C, dew point 22°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination by an FAA inspector revealed the airplane impacted the ground in a wing-low attitude and came to rest on a heading 180 degrees from the initial impact point. The wreckage path extended about 300–400 feet from initial impact to where the airplane came to rest. The leading edges of both wings sustained crushing damage, with the right wing more severely damaged. The fuselage and cockpit area sustained severe impact damage; no readings could be obtained from the instrument panel. Both fuel tanks were breached. The engine had separated from the airframe, and the propeller had separated from the engine. There was no post-crash fire.
The airplane and engine were transported to a secure facility for further examination. The engine displayed damage to the front right side and underside, and the crankcase incurred impact penetrations. Except for the right magneto and propeller governor, all accessory components sustained impact damage. One propeller blade exhibited torsional twisting, tip and leading edge damage, and chord-wise abrasion; the opposite blade showed "S"-type bending inward from the tip.
Partial disassembly examination of the engine included removal of valve covers, top spark plugs, and both magnetos. Rotation of the crankshaft was unobtainable due to impact damage. Borescope examination of the engine's top end components and power section revealed no anomalies. The oil filter element and suction screen were impact separated and not located. The carburetor was impact separated from the manifold at the mount studs; the induction air box was separated and not located. No fuel stains were observed on the carburetor exterior. The carburetor fuel inlet screen was removed and found clean; no fuel remained in the carburetor bowl.
The top spark plugs exhibited normal medium gray color combustion deposits with minimal wear and normal gap settings. The bottom spark plugs showed the same appearance when examined with a borescope. The right magneto was rotated by hand and produced spark from all towers; the left magneto was impact damaged, precluding field testing.
Medical and Pathological Information
The State of Florida, District 10 Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on May 24, 2010. The cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma with a contributory cause of marijuana intoxication. The FAA Bioaeronautical Research Laboratory conducted toxicological testing, which detected tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana) and its metabolites in kidney, lung, and liver samples. Ethanol was detected in kidney and muscle but noted as from sources other than ingestion. Other substances found included isopropanol, methanol, n-butanol, n-propanol, and metoprolol. A review of the pilot's driving record revealed no violations except an insurance coverage suspension in 2008.
Additional Information
The airplane's last fueling could not be determined despite review of airport fueling records and family interviews.