2010 American Champion Scout Collision with Terrain Near Bremerton, Washington (N273MA)

Accident Overview and Flight History On November 17, 2010, at approximately 1635 Pacific standard time, an American Champion Scout, registration N273MA, sustained substantial damage after colliding with mountainous terrain about 4 miles north of Bremerton, Washington. The 74-year-old air transport pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to Silverado Management, LLC, of Missoula, Montana, and was operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Bremerton National Airport (PWT) in Port Orchard, Washington, about 4 minutes before the collision. The pilot’s planned destination was unknown, and the aircraft was based in Silverdale, Washington, approximately 10 miles north of the departure airport. On November 25, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT) after the pilot was reported missing by family members. Kitsap County Search and Rescue discovered the wreckage on the morning of November 28 in a heavily wooded remote area about 6 miles west-southwest of Bremerton. FAA radar data indicated the aircraft was about one mile southwest of PWT before initiating a right turn to the north and continuing in a northerly direction at an unknown altitude until radar data stopped about 4 miles northwest of PWT. ## Personnel and Medical Information The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with an instrument rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate, issued in September 2010, included limitations requiring corrective lenses and restricting night flying and flying by color signal. His most recent FAA medical certificate application listed no flight times, while a previous application from July 2000 indicated 15,000 total flight hours and zero flight hours in the preceding six months. According to the pilot’s certified flight instructor (CFI), the pilot purchased the aircraft in Tulsa, Oklahoma, about one month before the accident. The CFI flew the aircraft with the pilot from Tulsa to Silverdale, Washington, covering approximately 26 hours of total flight time. After the cross-country flight, the CFI conducted local familiarization flights, including air work and touch-and-goes. The CFI did not endorse the pilot’s logbook and recommended that the pilot find a local instructor for further training. A toxicology screen performed by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, found no carbon monoxide, cyanide, or ethanol in the pilot’s blood or urine. Detected substances included acetaminophen (24.12 ug/ml, ug/g) in urine, metoprolol in urine and blood, oxycodone (0.483 ug/mL, ug/g) in urine, and oxycodone (0.036 ug/mL, ug/g) in blood. According to the FAA CAMI toxicology drug information database, acetaminophen is a common over-the-counter drug with a therapeutic level range of 5.0000 to 50.0000 ug/mL. Metoprolol is used for hypertension and certain forms of arthritis, with therapeutic levels ranging from 0.0200 to 0.6000 ug/mL. Oxycodone is an opiate used to treat pain, with therapeutic levels ranging from 0.0130 to 0.0990 ug/mL. ## Aircraft and Meteorological Information The aircraft was an American Champion Scout model 8GCBC, serial number 460-2004, recently purchased by the pilot. It was equipped with a Lycoming O-360 series, 180 horsepower engine. The most recent annual inspection was completed in April 2010, at which time the airframe and engine had a total time of 98.7 hours. At 1635, weather conditions at PWT, located about 4 miles southeast of the accident site, reported wind from 170 degrees at 11 knots, 10 statute miles of visibility, scattered clouds at 700 feet and 1,400 feet above ground level, and overcast clouds at 10,000 feet above ground level. The temperature was 4 degrees Celsius, the dewpoint was 2 degrees Celsius, and the altimeter setting was 29.74 inches of Mercury. ## Wreckage and Impact Information The wreckage was located in mountainous terrain at about 1,300 feet mean sea level. The area was heavily wooded, and the terrain angle varied between 15 and 25 degrees. The first identified point of contact was a series of trees, with tree tops broken off and fresh scarring noted on multiple branches and limbs. The debris path continued down-slope and over a shallow ravine. The main wreckage was located on the up-slope side of the ravine, approximately 150 yards from the first identified point of contact with trees. The aircraft’s left wing followed the initial impact point; it was separated from the fuselage and located about 50 yards from the first identified point of contact. Aft crushing-type damage was noted to the leading edge of the wing, while the associated aileron, flap, and lift struts remained attached to the wing assembly. The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage, cockpit controls, right wing, empennage, and engine assembly. All aerodynamic surfaces were located at the crash site, and no anomalies were noted. The engine was separated from the airframe with the firewall still attached. Minimal impact damage was noted to the lower and accessory area of the engine. Impact-related damage, consisting of aft crushing and deformation, was noted to the frontal areas of the forward cylinders. All four piston cylinders were in place, and the engine case was intact. The accessory gear case and associated accessories were intact, with no evidence of oil leakage or anomalies. The three-bladed propeller hub assembly was attached to the engine and showed impact-related damage. One propeller blade was sheared off at the hub, the second blade was bent fully aft, and the third blade was mostly intact with a slight forward bend. ## Tests and Research Post-accident examination of the airframe revealed that the fuel selector valve assembly was in the “open” position, and air was blown through the assembly, which was clear of debris. The gascolator was removed, and its screen was clear of debris, with no fuel found within the gascolator bowl. The emergency locator transmitter remained secured in the aircraft and was found in the “OFF” position. The four top spark plugs were removed and showed normal operating wear signatures compared to the Champion check-a-plug comparison chart. All four cylinders were borescoped, and no anomalies were noted. The engine crankshaft was manually rotated by hand, and cylinder compression and valve continuity were obtained from all cylinders. The carburetor was removed and examined; both the throttle and mixture arms remained attached and moved freely by hand from stop to stop. The carburetor inlet screen was removed and found clear of debris. The venturi was intact and undamaged, and the float assembly was in place and intact. The float bowl housing was empty.