History of Flight
On October 18, 2010, at about 1749 eastern daylight time, an American Champion Aircraft Corp. 8KCAB, registration N105AC, impacted terrain after taking off from Sebewaing Airport (98G) near Sebewaing, Michigan. The airplane crashed into an open cornfield about 0.25 nautical miles south of the departure end of runway 18 (2,178 feet by 50 feet, dry asphalt). The airplane sustained substantial damage, and a post-impact ground fire occurred. The pilot, who held a private pilot certificate, and the certified flight instructor (CFI), who held a commercial pilot certificate, were fatally injured. The CFI was providing a flight review to the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The instructional flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91; no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from Dupont-Lapeer Airport (D95) near Lapeer, Michigan, about 1700, performed a full stop landing at 98G, and was returning to D95 at the time of the accident.
A witness at 98G observed the accident airplane land on runway 18 and taxi back on the same runway. He saw the airplane hold on the runway for three to four minutes with its engine at "fast idle." The witness reported that the takeoff roll sounded normal.
Another witness who lived near the accident site saw the airplane after takeoff above power lines about 0.3 nautical miles south of the departure end of runway 18. She reported that the engine "sputtered" and the airplane banked to the left. According to the witness, the airplane "completely turned back toward the airport" and the engine "quit completely." The airplane subsequently "took a nose dive into the field."
Personnel Information
The 54-year-old front-seat pilot held an FAA private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating and a third-class medical certificate dated January 8, 2010. His logbooks showed 979.2 hours of total flight time. His last flight review was dated October 24, 2008.
The 52-year-old rear-seat CFI held an FAA commercial pilot certificate with airplane multiengine land (limited to center thrust) and instrument ratings, and a flight instructor certificate. He held a second-class medical certificate issued April 1, 2009, on which he reported 2,675 hours of total flight time. His logbooks showed 188.4 hours of total flight time. His last flight review was dated April 9, 2009. He had reported 2,765 hours of total flight time on his CFI application dated April 9, 2007.
Aircraft Information
N105AC was an American Champion Aircraft Corp. 8KCAB, serial number 647-91, a high-wing, fabric-covered fuselage and wing airplane with tandem seating and dual controls. It had fixed tailwheel landing gear. The airplane was powered by a 180-horsepower Lycoming AEIO-360-H1A engine (serial L-2566-51A) and a Hartzell HC-C2YL-4 propeller (serial AU113168). Its standard airworthiness certificate was issued June 28, 1991, for normal and acrobatic categories. The last annual inspection was completed March 11, 2010, at which time the airplane had 974.6 hours total time. The pilot owned and operated N105AC.
Meteorological Information
At 1755, the weather reported by Tuscola Area Airport (about 16 nautical miles from the accident site) was: wind 260 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, sky condition broken at 8,000 feet, temperature 11 degrees Celsius, dew point 1 degree Celsius, altimeter 29.96 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest upright on a heading of about 320 degrees in a harvested cornfield about 0.25 nautical miles south of the departure end of runway 18. Power lines near the field were intact. Fire consumed fabric covering the fuselage and right wing; a circular area of charred corn stalks and ground was present near the right wing. Fuel was found in the left fuel tank; the right fuel tank sustained fire damage.
Flight control continuity was established. The propeller hub and crankshaft flange had separated from the engine crankshaft. One propeller blade exhibited chord abrasion and polishing, as well as leading edge nicks. The engine crankshaft rotated when an accessory drive was rotated; all valves operated and each cylinder produced thumb compression. The left magneto sustained heat damage and did not rotate; the right magneto sustained heat damage but produced spark at its center electrode. Fuel and oil screens were free of debris. The engine-driven fuel pump sustained fire damage; disassembly revealed no anomalies other than fire damage. The electric fuel pump, when powered, emitted a liquid with the smell of aviation gasoline and was able to pump liquid. The muffler's exhaust tubes showed deformation consistent with impact damage. Spark plugs were normal per a spark plug chart. A borescope examination of pistons and cylinders revealed no anomalies.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on each pilot was performed by the Huron County Coroner's Office, which listed multiple traumatic injuries and burns due to an airplane crash as the cause of death. The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute prepared toxicology reports for both pilots; results were negative for the tests performed.
Additional Information
Examination of the terrain south of the accident cornfield revealed a suitable straight-ahead forced landing field south of the power lines that bounded the cornfield.