Summary
On August 28, 2010, about 0822 mountain standard time, a Remos Aircraft GMBH Remos G-3/600, registration N268RA, crashed while maneuvering shortly after takeoff at Marana Regional Airport in Tucson, Arizona. The airplane was operated by Tucson Aeroservice Center, Inc., on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. The commercial pilot, who held a certified flight instructor (CFI) certificate, was fatally injured; the student pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from runway 03 about 0817.
History of Flight
The operator reported that the flight was intended to provide a prospective student with an introduction to aviation. The 16-year-old student stated that the pilot performed a preflight inspection, explained the flight control system and instruments, then started the engine and taxied for takeoff. The student recalled that the CFI spent 1 to 2 minutes at the runway edge performing a pretakeoff engine check, then increased power and took off. Seconds after liftoff, the pilot made a right turn. The student's mother, who was filming the flight, reported that the airplane flew over her location at low altitude. A pilot-witness inbound for runway 12 heard the accident pilot transmit he was taking off on runway 03 but would not interfere with traffic on crossing runway 12. Another pilot-witness, departing from runway 12 (the predominantly active runway), estimated the accident airplane turned onto the crosswind leg before the intersection of runway 12, about 200 feet above ground level, then remained at altitude while on the downwind leg. The airplane turned right and subsequently crashed, coming to rest adjacent to runway 03. A helicopter pilot-witness on the ground thought the airplane might be performing stunts and estimated it was 50 to 75 feet agl when it banked steeply right and lost altitude. She reported wings nearly perpendicular to the ground, with the right wing impacting first. Another witness, a commercial pilot, saw the airplane on what appeared to be a short approach to runway 03; the turn exceeded 45 degrees of bank and the airplane appeared to overshoot the runway. It pitched up and descended still in the 45-degree bank attitude. Other witnesses observed similar maneuvers: a right turn after liftoff, low altitude over airport buildings, and a steep right-hand bank leading to the descent and impact. The student recalled the pilot banked steeply right, the wing nearly perpendicular, and "did not look right."
Personnel
The pilot, age 45, held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument ratings, and type ratings in DHC-8 and CA-212 (second-in-command privileges). He also held a flight instructor certificate with single and multi-engine and instrument privileges, issued January 26, 2009. A first-class medical certificate was issued October 12, 2009, without limitations. No flight records were located; on his most recent medical application (October 11, 2009), he reported 2,645 total hours, with 340 in the previous 6 months.
Aircraft
The airplane, a Remos G-3/600, serial number 231, is a light sport aircraft manufactured in 2007. The last condition/annual inspection was endorsed August 19, 2009, at a tachometer reading of 785 hours (total time on airframe and engine). The engine was a Rotax 912UL-S, serial number 5.649.795.
Airport and Weather
Marana Regional Airport (elevation 2,031 feet msl) has two intersecting asphalt runways: 12/30 (6,901 ft by 100 ft) and 03/21 (3,893 ft by 75 ft). The distance from the end of runway 03 to the intersection with runway 12/30 is about 2,800 feet. At 0825, the AWOS reported clear skies, visibility 10 miles, temperature 25°C, dewpoint 18°C, and wind from 011° at 11 knots. No unusual weather was observed by witnesses.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane came to rest upright about 70 feet south-southwest of the windsock for runway 03, 70 feet west of the runway's left side, in a level dirt field nearly abeam the threshold. No fire occurred. An FAA inspector documented no evidence of a preimpact flight control anomaly; fuel was present in the tanks. The right wing was separated from the airframe; the aileron was broken mid-span, with the torque tube sheared. The fuselage tail boom was fractured and sheared mid-length. The elevator push-pull tube jam nut at the aft connection rod end was found loose (4 flats when tightened). The left wing aileron and flap control continuity was verified. No structural preimpact failure was evident; all damage appeared fresh.
Medical and Pathological Information
The pilot was transported to a hospital but later died from injuries. An autopsy attributed death to blunt force injuries; no evidence of physical incapacitation or impairment was found. Forensic toxicology by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute tested negative for alcohol; ephedrine was detected in urine and muscle tissue, and phenylpropanolamine and pseudoephedrine in urine.
Tests and Research
Examination of the fuel system found residual fuel in the right carburetor; the left carburetor bowl had separated. Fuel was present in the mechanical pump and filter, with no debris or blockage. The electric fuel pump operated normally. Throttle and choke cables were intact. The flap control motor extension arm was in the up position (0 degrees flap). Ignition system components tested at a Rotax facility showed all coils producing spark, timing within specifications, and no anomalies that would preclude normal operation.