History of Flight
On July 3, 2011, at approximately 1550 mountain daylight time, a Boeing B75N1 impacted terrain near Wetmore, Colorado. The airplane was registered to and operated by Quetzal Limited Partnership of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated from Fremont County Airport (1V6) in Canon City, Colorado, at about 1515.
According to the pilot-rated passenger, after departing 1V6, the airplane flew at low altitude around several locations before circling the passenger's home. While flying west from the home, there was no communication between the passenger and the pilot. The passenger reported that the airplane became low and slow, and its bank increased. He stated that the airplane descended and collided with trees. The passenger found the pilot unresponsive and attempted to remove him from the airplane. A fire began, and the passenger retreated from the spreading flames. The passenger noted no changes in engine noise.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 50, held a commercial pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane, as well as a private pilot certificate for airplane multi-engine land. A third-class medical certificate without restrictions was issued on October 14, 2009, at which time the pilot reported 1,500 total flight hours, with 90 hours in the previous six months. The pilot's logbook was not obtained during the investigation, and the number of hours in make and model is unknown. The pilot had acquired the accident airplane on October 13, 2009.
Aircraft Information
The Boeing B75N1 is a tandem two-seat, tube and fabric, bi-wing airplane, serial number 75-1183, manufactured in 1947. It was powered by a 450-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine driving a Hamilton Standard 2B20 constant-speed propeller. The airplane was issued a standard aerobatic airworthiness certificate on August 19, 1992. It was configured with dual pilot controls.
Meteorological Information
At 1331, an automated weather reporting facility at Pueblo, Colorado, located 28 nautical miles east of the accident site, reported wind from 080 degrees at 23 knots gusting to 28 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 97°F, dew point 26°F, and barometric pressure 30.01 inches of Mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The first impact signatures were damaged trees located 40 to 60 feet east-southeast of the accident site. Several downed branches displayed clean angular cuts. The wreckage came to rest upright on a 240-degree magnetic heading on the northern face of a ravine. The main wreckage consisted of the propeller, engine, and fuselage frame. Both bi-wings were almost completely consumed by fire. Flight control continuity was confirmed to the rudder and elevator surfaces, and cable continuity was established to the aileron attachments. Cockpit instruments were unreadable due to thermal damage. The pilot's restraint belt buckle was found in the secured position. One blade of the two-bladed metal propeller was partially buried; the other blade displayed gouges, chordwise scratches, and was bent forward near mid-span. The throttle quadrant was thermally damaged, with the throttle, mixture, and propeller pitch levers set about one-third open. The engine sustained impact and thermal damage. No anomalies were detected with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on July 6, 2011, by the El Paso County Coroner, authorized by the Custer County Coroner, ruled the manner of death as accident. The medical examiner noted smoke inhalation and a postmortem carboxyhemoglobin level of 7 percent. The autopsy found no anatomic reason for the pilot's incapacitation. Forensic toxicology by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) indicated putrefaction, and specimens were unsuitable for carbon monoxide analysis. Tests for cyanide, ethanol, and drugs were negative.