History of Flight
On November 13, 2010, about 1710 Atlantic standard time, an experimental amateur-built Carlo Quicksilver Sport 2S, N5593F, experienced an in-flight loss of control and crashed in a marsh near Lajas, Puerto Rico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the non-certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight originated from a private airstrip about 1500.
A witness reported observing the airplane flying from east to west and then seeing it in a nose-low attitude spinning two times before ground contact. The witness called 911 and went to the scene to render assistance.
Damage to Airplane
Photographs provided by the FAA inspector-in-charge showed the empennage displaced to the right and rotated to the left, positioned above the upper surface of the wing. Numerous structural tubes were fractured, but no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction was noted.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 54, did not hold any FAA-issued pilot certificate. A review of excerpts from a pilot logbook revealed his first logged flight on July 12, 2006, and his last logged flight on April 10, 2010. He logged approximately 44 total hours over 41 flights, all in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 2002 as a Quicksilver Sport 2S, serial number Sport 2S 0048. It was powered by a Rotax 582 dual-carburetor dual-ignition engine with a wood propeller. It was certificated in the Experimental category for operating Light Sport Aircraft. Maintenance records showed the last condition inspection on January 30, 2010; the total time at that inspection was not recorded.
Meteorological Information
A surface observation at Rafael Hernandez Airport (BQN) in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, at 1650, about 20 minutes before the accident, reported wind from 020 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken ceiling at 4,000 feet, temperature 28°C, dew point 21°C, and altimeter 29.91 inHg. The accident site was approximately 31 nautical miles and 164 degrees from BQN.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed the airplane crashed in a marsh in an open area, coming to rest nose-low with the empennage nearly vertical. The engine separated, with the front portion buried about 18 inches; the wood propeller remained attached. Both propeller blades were fractured outboard of the hub. A smell of fuel was noted. All components necessary for flight remained attached. No flight control system preimpact failure or malfunction was reported.
Examination of the separated engine by a manufacturer representative (with FAA oversight) revealed impact damage to the coolant radiator, causing total coolant loss. The MAG carburetor was disconnected; the PTO carburetor remained attached and undamaged. Non-standard air cleaners were removed; each carburetor piston (slide) was in good condition and properly oriented. No contamination or corrosion was found in the float bowls; both floats were in good condition and properly oriented. After reinstalling float bowls and filling with fuel, the engine was started on a bench and ran smoothly through varying RPM settings; the ignition system operated normally.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination by the Instituto De Ciencias Forenses in San Juan, Puerto Rico, listed the cause of death as severe body trauma. Forensic toxicology by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (CAMI) and the Instituto De Ciencias Forenses was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and volatiles. CAMI detected unquantified amounts of desmethylsertraline, sertraline, and metoprolol in urine; metoprolol in cavity blood; and quantified levels of alprazolam (0.092 ug/mL), alpha-hydroxyalprazolam (0.216 ug/mL), oxazepam (0.031 ug/mL), and temazepam (0.164 ug/mL) in urine. Cavity blood showed desmethylsertraline (0.16 ug/mL) and sertraline (0.172 ug/mL). Heart blood showed desmethylsertraline (1.026 ug/mL) and sertraline (0.238 ug/mL) and was not suitable for alprazolam analysis. No alpha-hydroxyalprazolam, oxazepam, or temazepam were detected in heart blood. The Instituto De Ciencias Forenses reported negative results for volatiles, cocaine, opiates, and cannabinoids.