History of Flight
On June 30, 2011, at approximately 1733 central daylight time, an amateur-built Ray Aerial Spraying model 773 Racer, registration N773RY, struck the ground and a tree while returning and attempting to land at Ottumwa Regional Airport (OTM), Ottumwa, Iowa. The pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft, registered to Ray Aerial Spraying, was operated by a commercial pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had departed OTM about 1730, destined for the pilot's private airstrip in Hedrick, Iowa.
A witness stated that the pilot had flown the airplane to OTM on June 28, 2011. Upon departure that day, the pilot could not start the engine and said he would return later. A receipt showed that 30.1 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline were added on June 28, and another receipt for starter repair parts was dated June 30, 2011.
Another witness reported speaking with the pilot for about an hour before the accident flight. The pilot discussed the airplane's glide characteristics in case of engine failure, stating that if the engine quit, he would dive and get the airplane on the ground. The witness then saw the pilot take off, perform two low passes down the runway, and depart. Later, while flying an ultralight on downwind for runway 22, the witness observed the accident airplane approach above traffic pattern altitude, overfly runway 22, and turn left onto a crosswind leg. The nose then pitched down, and the airplane descended and maneuvered toward the airport before striking a field and a tree, followed by a postimpact fire. The witness could not hear the accident airplane's engine due to noise from his own aircraft.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and sea, multiengine land, and instrument. He also held a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings. A second-class medical certificate was issued on July 7, 2010. Logbook records indicated 6,581.8 total flight hours, including 6,381.8 hours in single-engine airplanes. The most recent flight review was on July 7, 2010. The logbook contained two entries for the accident airplane, the first dated May 17, 2011, totaling 0.7 hours of flight time in that aircraft.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a single-seat, amateur-built monoplane reminiscent of a 1930s air racer. The fuselage and tail surfaces were primarily steel tubing with fabric covering; the wings were wood with fabric-covered steel tubing for ailerons. It had a fixed conventional (tailwheel) landing gear. Wingspan was 21.5 feet, wing area 98.57 square feet. A Ranger model V-770-11 engine, a 12-cylinder V arrangement rated at 520 horsepower, powered the aircraft.
Meteorological Information
At 1753, recorded weather at OTM included wind from 190 degrees at 15 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 33°C, dew point 25°C, and altimeter setting 29.82 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
Ottumwa Regional Airport is located about 5 miles northwest of Ottumwa, Iowa, at an elevation of 845 feet. No control tower was operating at the time of the accident. The airport has two intersecting paved runways: 13/31 (5,885 by 150 feet) and 4/22 (4,600 by 100 feet).
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane struck a berm bordering a farm field adjacent to the airport, approximately 650 feet southwest of the approach end of runway 31, with a heading of about 15 degrees. The impact location and direction were consistent with an attempted return to the runway. After initial impact, the airplane traveled about 250 feet before coming to rest. The aft fuselage and tail surfaces remained intact except for fire damage to fabric; the forward fuselage separated and was displaced right. Both wings were largely consumed by fire except for ailerons and main spars. The wooden main spar was charred but intact and attached to the fuselage.
Examination of the flight control system showed no preimpact failure or malfunction. The engine rotated with continuity confirmed for crankshaft, accessories, and valve train. Distributor caps had no anomalies, and magnetos produced spark. The fuel system and carburetor were destroyed by fire, so preimpact operation could not be determined. The three-blade propeller remained attached, with chordwise scuffing at tips and slight rearward bending. Fire was limited to the wreckage area, with no evidence of an in-flight fire.
Medical and Pathological Information
The pilot initially survived the accident but succumbed to injuries approximately five hours later. An autopsy attributed death to injuries received during the accident. Toxicology testing detected Lidocaine in heart tissue, which is used as a local anesthetic or for ventricular arrhythmias.