Accident Overview
On October 11, 2010, at approximately 1516 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Drake Acro Sport 1 biplane, registration N53DB, collided with trees and terrain at Maple Grove Airport (65G) in Fowlerville, Michigan. The pilot, who was the sole occupant and operator, was seriously injured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its wings and fuselage. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The local flight had departed from 65G at an undetermined time.
Witness Account
A witness reported that prior to the accident, the pilot had overshot the runway and executed a go-around. During the subsequent approach, the airplane touched down hard and bounced. The witness heard the engine sound increase but noted it did not reach a level typical of takeoff power. The airplane's nose was high, and it began to "waffle" and turn left while flying low over trees. The witness observed the airplane rolling before losing sight, then heard the crash.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The aircraft was issued an amateur-built experimental airworthiness certificate on April 9, 2010. Maintenance records showed an entry for the airworthiness certificate and a subsequent entry on April 23, 2010, for successful transponder and altitude reporting equipment testing. No further entries were present. The pilot's logbook indicated 695.5 total flight hours, with 20.6 hours in tailwheel-equipped aircraft. Three entries pertained to the accident airplane: a June 4, 2010 flight (0.7 hours, 1 landing) with a comment "Prop strike on landing"; an October 1, 2010 flight (1.6 hours, 1 landing) noted as "First successful flight by R. D."; and an October 6, 2010 flight (1.1 hours, 1 landing), the final entry. A flight review was completed on May 25, 2010.
Accident Details
The pilot did not recall the events leading up to the accident. The airplane impacted a wooded area south of the airport. The aft fuselage was deformed, and sections of the wings separated from the fuselage but remained nearby. The ailerons were dislocated from the wings. Elevators and rudder remained attached to their respective stabilizers, and control continuity from those surfaces to the cockpit was confirmed. The recording hour meter indicated 10.7 hours.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the airframe revealed no preimpact anomalies. The engine was examined in detail and no anomalies that would have precluded full power production were found.
Weather Conditions
Weather recorded at Livingston County Airport (OZW), about 7 miles southeast, at 1515 included clear skies and northwest winds at 6 knots.