History of Flight
On August 22, 2010, at 1240 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Schneider Christen Eagle II, registration N222ET, sustained substantial damage upon impact with terrain while performing aerobatic maneuvers near Clearwater, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight and was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight had departed from Clearwater, Minnesota, at an unknown time.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot was reportedly performing aerobatic maneuvers near a relative's residence when the airplane impacted terrain in a nose-down attitude. A witness reported that the airplane was performing rolls over his property before entering a spiraling dive straight down. At about 500 feet above ground level, the witness saw the propeller begin to turn as if cranked by the starter, and he thought the airplane recovered from the dive in an inverted attitude.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate issued on October 17, 2003. A logbook entry from April 3, 2010, indicated that the pilot received his last flight review in a Beech J35. The same flight instructor provided the pilot with Eagle Familiarization training from April 4, 2010, to May 15, 2010, totaling 11.3 hours, all conducted in N222ET. The last pilot logbook entry was dated June 13, 2010, at which time the pilot had accumulated 514.6 total flight hours, with 18.4 hours in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot's flight instructor and mechanic did not believe the pilot had any aerobatic experience or training.
Aircraft Information
The 1988 Christen Eagle II, serial number 0001, was an experimental amateur-built airplane powered by a Lycoming IO-360-A1A engine, serial number L-1039-51A. The pilot purchased the airplane on March 3, 2010. The last conditional inspection occurred on June 9, 2010, at a total aircraft time of 470 hours. The engine inspection was also dated that day, with an engine total time of 1,725 hours and a time since overhaul of 470 hours.
The mechanic who performed the last conditional inspection reported that the airplane flight manual and weight and balance information were stored in a compartment behind the rear pilot seat. That compartment was broken open and did not contain the weight and balance information. Before the pilot purchased the airplane, the mechanic had flown it with an aerobatic pilot, performing only takeoffs and landings. During that flight, the center of gravity was 1.25 inches forward of the aft limit, and the airplane was about 5 pounds below gross weight. The mechanic (220 pounds) was in the rear seat, and the aerobatic pilot (150 pounds) was in the front seat. The mechanic stated that with a front-seat occupant weighing 230–240 pounds, a rear-seat occupant weighing 220 pounds, and full fuel, the airplane would exceed gross weight and the center of gravity would be outside the aft limit.
According to the Aviat Eagle Inc. website, the Eagle airplane has a useful load of 553 pounds with a Lycoming AEIO-360-A1D engine and a usable fuel capacity of 24 gallons. The pilot was seated in the rear seat; according to autopsy information, the pilot weighed 212 pounds and the passenger weighed 237 pounds.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The main wreckage was in an upright position in a wet wooded area. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The magneto switch was found in the "both" position. The fuel tanks were broken open, and fuel was present on the ground and water surrounding the wreckage.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot was conducted by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office on August 23, 2010. The FAA Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report for the pilot reported no ethanol detected in muscle and brain; 79 mg/dL (mg/hg) methanol detected in brain; and 19 mg/dL (mg/hg) methanol detected in muscle.
Survival Aspects
Neither the pilot nor the passenger was wearing parachutes as required by 14 CFR Part 91.307(c), which states that unless each occupant is wearing an approved parachute, no pilot may execute any intentional maneuver exceeding a bank of 60 degrees relative to the horizon or a nose-up or nose-down attitude of 30 degrees relative to the horizon.