History of Flight
On July 29, 2010, at approximately 1242 Pacific daylight time, an experimental Marshal Zodiac CH601 HDS, registration N18295, collided with terrain near Graham, Washington. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot was fatally injured and the pilot-rated passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage.
The flight departed Kapowsin Field (86WA) in Kapowsin, Washington, about 1241, with a planned destination of Thun Field (PLU) in Puyallup, Washington, six miles north. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed.
The pilot-rated passenger reported that during the initial climb, at about 700 feet above ground level, the airplane stalled.
Witnesses stated that on previous occasions they observed the pilot conducting taxi tests on the runway. On the accident day, a witness standing at the north end of the airport observed the takeoff roll and reported that the airplane used most of the runway. The engine seemed to run normally but did not sound like it was at full power. When the airplane lifted off, it had a high angle of attack and was not climbing quickly. It climbed to about 100-200 feet agl and began to "wobble." The witness stated the airplane then appeared to stall and spin out of view; shortly after, the impact was heard.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 75, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. According to FAA records, he did not have a medical certificate. Flight time and flight review records were not obtained. The pilot's son reported that the accident flight was the pilot's first flight in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was an amateur-built Zodiac CH601 HDS, serial number 1245. It was an all-metal, low-wing, two-place aircraft with hinged ailerons and fixed tricycle landing gear. It was equipped with an NSI Subaru four-cylinder conversion engine. The hour meter indicated 288.7 hours total flight time.
The airplane had been stored in a hangar for about five years before the pilot purchased it in July 2010. The last maintenance entry in the logbooks was an annual inspection, but the entry was not dated.
Meteorological Information
Weather reported at Thun Field at 1330: wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 19°C, dewpoint 12°C, altimeter 30.10 inHg.
Airport Information
Kapowsin Field is a private airport about 2 miles north of Kapowsin, Washington. It has a single asphalt runway (16/34) 2,500 feet long and 24 feet wide, elevation 720 feet msl.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest in a field about a quarter mile north of the departure end of runway 34. The engine was lodged in the ground; the airplane protruded at an approximate 45-degree angle. Aft crushing was noted on the leading edges of both wings. The right wing leading edge rested on the ground; the left wing was aloft and bent aft. The aft fuselage was buckled. Control continuity was established from the control column throughout all control surfaces. Examination revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy attributed the pilot's cause of death to "Blunt Force Injuries." The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute performed toxicology tests; results were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol, and positive for Metoprolol in blood and urine, and Quinine in urine.