Accident Overview
On May 24, 2010, about 0930 mountain standard time, an experimental Rice GN-1 Air Camper impacted terrain near Big Springs Airpark (AZ27) in Paulden, Arizona. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured after being airlifted to Flagstaff Medical Center. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage to most of its structure. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight, departing from the same airpark about 20 minutes prior to the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Witness Accounts
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane in a left-hand traffic pattern for runway 28 before the accident sequence began. The pilot was performing a series of touch-and-go landings on the dirt airstrip. During one approach, the airplane descended into terrain approximately 100 yards north of runway 28's threshold. No witness observed the events immediately preceding the impact.
Emergency Response and Pilot's Condition
According to air ambulance records, upon arrival at the scene, the pilot stated that he was landing and had crashed short of the runway, but did not know the cause. He told emergency personnel he was unsure if he lost consciousness during the crash. The pilot reported lower back pain, chest pain, and shortness of breath, and was airlifted to Flagstaff Medical Center by Native American Air Ambulance. Hospital records show the pilot died at 1230 after resuscitative efforts. An autopsy by the Coconino County Medical Examiner listed the cause of death as "Multiple injuries due to a plane crash" and the manner as "Accidental."
Examination of Wreckage
An FAA inspector observed ground impact scars indicating the airplane collided with terrain in a steep to vertical nose-down attitude, consistent with a stall. The propeller, engine, and forward passenger compartment were compressed into a single mass; the empennage sheared from the forward fuselage. The fuel tank was torn and breached, with a significant fuel stain in the sand. Flight control and engine control continuity were confirmed, but the position of engine controls at impact could not be determined.
The engine was recovered to Air Transport in Phoenix, Arizona, where a partial teardown inspection was performed under FAA monitoring. All four cylinder assemblies, pistons, and spark plugs were removed and inspected, along with the crankcase interior, crankshaft, camshaft, external oil filter, oil pump, magnetos, and accessory gearing. The only anomaly found was a broken oil scraper piston ring on the number one piston, with approximately ten percent missing. No damage to the ring groove, piston, or cylinder wall was observed. The top two rings were intact and free. All rings showed normal wear and operating signatures. No other anomaly or malfunction was found that would have prevented the engine from producing full rated horsepower.
Toxicology and Medical Findings
Forensic toxicology performed by the FAA's Civil Aero-Medical Institute (CAMI) on pilot specimens tested negative for carbon monoxide and cyanide in the blood, and negative for ethanol in the vitreous. Atropine was detected in the blood, consistent with hospital administration during resuscitation. Elevated glucose levels were found: 238 mg/dl in vitreous and 2965 mg/dl in urine. Hemoglobin A1c was 10.4 percent. The toxicology report noted that postmortem vitreous glucose above 125 mg/dl and urine glucose above 100 mg/dl are abnormal, as are hemoglobin A1c levels above six percent. Hospital records show administration of 6 units of packed red blood cells and atropine. Blood glucose measured during air ambulance transport was 354.
A review of the pilot's FAA Airman's Medical Record indicated he was a Type II diabetic, controlled with oral medication as of his last medical application on January 25, 2010, with hemoglobin A1c of 7.6 percent on November 23, 2009. The autopsy report noted food in the pilot's stomach.