Accident Overview
On May 28, 2010, at approximately 1230 Central Daylight Time, a kit-built Vans RV-6A airplane, registered as N226MH, was destroyed when it collided with terrain during an approach to Pecan Plantation Airport (0TX1) in Granbury, Texas. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger was seriously injured. The personal cross-country flight had departed Front Range Airport (FTG) in Denver, Colorado, at an unknown time and was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions.
Witness Observations
Several witnesses reported seeing the airplane enter the downwind pattern for 0TX1. During the final approach leg, the left wing dropped, and the airplane entered a steep descending bank before impacting the terrain.
Passenger Account
In a telephone interview with the NTSB Investigator in Charge, the passenger stated she could not recall details of the accident. However, she remembered that they were "slightly high" on the approach and that the pilot said "no, no" prior to the airplane impacting trees.
Wreckage Examination
The responding FAA inspector reported fuel present on site and all major components accounted for. The wreckage was recovered and examined on September 3, 2010. The Hobbs meter read 625.2 hours. Flight control continuity was established from the control stick to all flight control surfaces and from the rudder pedals to the rudder. The flap actuator was in the retracted position, corresponding to flaps extended (down). Examination of electrical fuses revealed that the electrically driven fuel pump and strobes fuses were both blown.
Engine and Propeller Inspection
Visual inspection of the Aero Sport Power O-360 engine found no pre-impact discrepancies. The engine was equipped with an electronic ignition system. Mixture and throttle control linkages were attached at the carburetor. The fuel filter screen was clean and free of contaminants. The Hartzell constant-speed, two-bladed propeller was broken off at the crankshaft flange, with 45-degree shear-lip edges. One blade was twisted about a foot from the tip toward the cambered side; the other blade was relatively straight but heavily polished on the non-camber side near the tip. Both blades had leading edge nicks.
Maintenance Records
Aircraft maintenance records showed the last condition inspection was on July 12, 2009, at 502.5 hours. On January 24, 2010, the backup battery was replaced at 570.1 hours.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane, as well as an experimental repairman certificate. A third-class medical was issued September 2008. No flight log was located, but the pilot reportedly had about 1,100 to 1,200 total flight hours and about 625 hours in the accident airplane.
Toxicology Results
Toxicological testing by the FAA Toxicology Accident Research Laboratory detected Etomidate and Lidocaine in the pilot. However, the autopsy conducted by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Tarrant County, noted "documented evidence of medical intervention" on the pilot.