Synopsis
On July 28, 2011, at 1511 eastern daylight time, a Taylorcraft BL-65, registration N24369, was substantially damaged during an attempted landing at South Oak Aerodrome (NC47) in Winterville, North Carolina. The private flight, operated by the pilot, was conducted under Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that had departed NC47 about 1345.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The two-seat, high-wing aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear, serial number 1705, was manufactured in 1940. It was powered by a Continental A65-8, 65-horsepower engine. The airplane's maintenance logbooks were not located, and the tachometer indicated 1,294.0 hours of operation. The pilot, aged 42, held an airline transport pilot certificate with a multiengine land rating and a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on March 16, 2011, at which time he reported 11,800 total flight hours. His logbook was recovered but not current, with the most recent entry dated March 18, 2010; his total experience or hours in the accident make and model could not be determined.
Accident Sequence
Runway 25 at NC47 was 1,850 feet long, 50 feet wide, and made of turf. According to surveillance video from a nearby residence, the airplane approached the runway from south to north in a nose-down, left-bank attitude with no apparent additional control inputs. It impacted the left side of runway 25 about one-third down its length. The airplane then pivoted 180 degrees and came to rest about 20 feet from the initial impact point, upright on a heading of 150 degrees magnetic. The right main landing gear had partially separated, and the airplane rested on its right side. Ground scars, located about 20 feet from the wreckage, were oriented about 300 degrees magnetic and consistent with the left wing and left main landing gear.
Wreckage and Impact
Both wings remained attached; the left wing showed impact damage at the outboard leading edge, while the right wing was undamaged. The ailerons were attached, with the left aileron down and the right up. The fuel caps were secured; about one-quarter tank of fuel remained in the right wing, with no fuel in the left. Fuel was observed leaking from the engine compartment near a damaged carburetor, displaying a brown tint but otherwise clear with an appearance and smell consistent with automobile gasoline. Control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to the rudder, elevator, elevator trim tab, and left aileron. The right aileron bellcrank had separated; metallurgical examination revealed five fracture faces with rough grainy surfaces consistent with overload. The seatbelts and shoulder harnesses were intact and unlatched by rescue personnel. The mixture control was full rich, carburetor heat off, throttle mid-range. First responders reported positioning the fuel selector and magnetos to off; the engine primer was in and locked. The engine remained attached and undamaged except for the carburetor. The propeller blades exhibited s-bending and chordwise scratching. Thumb compression was attained on all cylinders, and magnetos produced spark. A Lowrance Airmap 500 GPS receiver was recovered; data plotted a route from NC47 to Kenley, North Carolina, and return, but without date or time, it could not be positively identified as the accident flight.
Meteorological Conditions
The recorded weather at Pitt-Greenville Airport (PGV), about 10 miles north of the accident site, at 1515 was: wind from 190 degrees at 4 knots; visibility 10 miles; scattered clouds at 7,000 and 9,000 feet; temperature 36°C; dew point 17°C; altimeter 30.02 inches of mercury.
Medical Information
An autopsy performed on July 29, 2011, by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, noted the cause of death as "Multiple injuries." The report also noted 85 to 90 percent atherosclerotic narrowing of the left anterior descending coronary artery and focal scarring of the papillary muscle. Review of the pilot's FAA and personal medical records revealed a fainting episode in 2009 following nausea and vomiting due to illness; cardiac and neurologic testing did not reveal a concerning cause, and the pilot was cleared to fly. Toxicological testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, alcohol, and drugs.