History of Flight
On April 3, 2011, about 1630 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Lancair 360, N164T, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain shortly after taking off from Chesapeake Regional Airport (CPK), Chesapeake, Virginia. The certificated commercial pilot/owner and the passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane was not operating on a flight plan during a local personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91.
Family members reported that the pilot initially flew the airplane from Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport (JGG), Williamsburg, Virginia, where it was hangared, to CPK with his son onboard to meet family members for lunch. The pilot subsequently offered to take his sister on a short familiarization flight.
Witness Observations
One witness saw the airplane take off from runway 23. The landing gear retracted, and about ¼ mile beyond the departure end of the runway, the engine began "missing and sputtering." The witness saw the airplane then turn sharply to the right while losing altitude. After 90 to 110 degrees of turn, the nose of the airplane "dropped sharply, perhaps borderline inverted. Rotation stopped, and the nose began to recover from vertical" before the airplane impacted the ground.
Another witness stated that at the departure end of the runway or a "little beyond," and about 150 to 200 feet above the ground, there was a loud backfire, followed by several smaller backfires. The airplane "started turning back towards the airport and stalled" before descending behind a hangar.
A third witness noted that after takeoff, at about 200 feet of altitude, the engine began to "sputter." The airplane's nose attitude lowered slightly, and it began a right turn. The sputtering seemed to decrease, but the airplane entered a spin and disappeared behind a hangar. With the engine still sputtering, the witness heard the sound of an impact, and the engine noise stopped.
Additional witness statements were consistent, though one thought the airplane reached between 300 and 400 feet, and another stated the airplane rolled 90 degrees, then headed "straight down," but continued rolling until upright, and noted the pilot "tried pulling up but did not have sufficient altitude." Another witness stated that "the airplane appeared to enter a classic 'stall/spin' and rolled inverted."
One witness noted that after the spin, the "engine came back to life too late," while another stated that just after losing sight of the airplane behind a hangar, he heard the engine at full power for a split second before impact. An additional witness heard the engine sputtering after losing sight.
Pilot Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot, age 45, held a commercial pilot certificate with multiple ratings and a flight instructor certificate. His latest FAA second medical certificate was issued on February 11, 2009. The pilot was an active duty U.S. Army aviator, and according to a recent resume, he was an Army standardization instructor pilot, an instrument flight examiner, and a graduate of the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School. The resume indicated 4,533 hours of flight time. Sales documents showed the pilot purchased the airplane from the builder in February 2008. His personal logbook documented flights through January 24, 2011, with over 150 hours in the airplane. A logbook entry for a May 20, 2010 flight noted: "left tank run dry landed w/3 gallons in right."
Aircraft Information
The airplane was fabricated from a Lancair II factory "fast-build" kit with modifications, including permanent wet wing tip extensions allowing an additional 5 gallons of fuel per wing. It was issued a special airworthiness certificate on May 26, 1998. The airplane was powered by an overhauled, intercooled Lycoming TIO-360 engine converted from an IO-360 during a July 1995 overhaul. The latest condition inspection was completed by the builder on October 1, 2010, at 242.0 tachometer hours. A fuel receipt indicated 39.7 gallons purchased on March 8, 2011; the engine operating time from that refueling to the accident could not be determined. The fuel ports from each wing tank to the engine were located about 2 inches aft of the tanks' leading edges.
Airport and Weather
Runway 23 was 5,500 feet long and 100 feet wide. Agricultural fields were located to the right of the departure end, with the largest in excess of about ½ mile by ½ mile. Weather recorded at the airport at 1620 included winds from 280 degrees true at 7 knots, clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 16°C, dew point -2°C, and altimeter setting 30.07 inches Hg.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was located at the edge of a grassy field on airport property, next to an undamaged perimeter fence, about 1,200 feet, 310 degrees magnetic from the departure end of runway 23. No ground scars led to the wreckage, and the partially buried engine was at an estimated 20 degrees nose-down. The engine compartment heading was 200 degrees magnetic, while the fuselage aft was oriented toward 190 degrees. The left wing separated aft at the root, the tail broke off to the right, and the right wing fractured forward mid-span, consistent with left-turning rotation at impact. The autopilot turn coordinator was frozen in a left turn indication.
All flight control surfaces were present; continuity was confirmed from the control stick to the ailerons and elevator, but impact damage precluded rudder control movement. The landing gear and flaps were up. Both wet wings' fuel tanks were compromised; the right wing/tank fractured from the leading edge to the aft spar about 1/3 span from the root. No fuel was found in the left tank, with only a single spot of browned vegetation about 1 foot in diameter underneath. No fuel was in the right tank, but a 9-by-9-foot area of browned vegetation was under and extending from where the wing came to rest. The fuel selector was in the right tank position. Lines to and from the selector and fuel filter were compromised and empty, but about one cup of clear, blue fuel was drained from the filter itself. The throttle was full aft (possibly displaced by impact), mixture and propeller full forward, and the boost pump switch dislodged.
One of the three-bladed, wooden-core composite propeller blades came to rest undamaged; the other two were broken off at the hub, one fractured into multiple pieces. The engine was examined at a storage facility: crankshaft continuity confirmed, spark plugs gray, compression confirmed for all cylinders, fuel injectors free of debris. No anomalies were found via borescope. The magneto sparked on all leads. The engine-driven fuel pump pumped out about two teaspoons of fuel when rotated. The fuel distribution system showed no fuel in lines to cylinders, but fuel in the line to the fuel injection servo, and about five teaspoons of clear, blue fuel were drained from the unit. The fuel injector servo had impact damage but the internal bellows was intact.
The GPS, engine monitor, and fuel system monitor were retained but yielded no useful data. There was no stall warning system installed, and the angle of attack indicator was destroyed.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the cause of death as "multiple blunt force trauma." Toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team showed no anomalies.