History of Flight
On August 25, 2011, at 1856 eastern daylight time, a Nichols model Lancair 235 amateur-built airplane, registration N777BN, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain during initial climb from Newark-Heath Airport (VTA) in Heath, Ohio. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a local flight without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
A witness on the airport reported that the airplane used runway 27 for takeoff. After becoming airborne, the airplane appeared very unstable, alternating rolls left and right while remaining only a few feet above the runway. The witness stated it seemed the pilot was not in control. The airplane then turned left, proceeded off the runway toward the witness, and continued erratic flight with continuous pitch, yaw, and roll changes. It cleared a row of hangars by about 10 feet, climbed to 100-150 feet above ground, then banked sharply left and entered a nose-down descent into trees. The witness noted the engine sounded normal throughout.
Pilot Information
According to FAA records, the pilot, age 50, held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. His last aviation medical examination was on October 20, 2010, with a special issuance third-class medical certificate requiring corrective lenses, valid until October 31, 2012. The pilot had no previous accidents, incidents, or enforcement proceedings. His logbook as of August 16, 2011, showed 121.5 total flight hours, 63.9 as pilot-in-command, all in single-engine land airplanes. He had no logged flights in the accident airplane. In the previous year, he had two flights totaling 1.9 hours, including a flight review and dual instruction. He held a high-performance endorsement from 2004 but no complex airplane endorsement.
The former owner and builder of the airplane provided a demonstration flight before the sale on September 14, 2010, during which the pilot flew portions but did not perform takeoff or landing. The former owner suggested taxiing for familiarization. The flight instructor who flew with the pilot on August 16, 2011, reported the pilot said he had not flown the accident airplane since purchase.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a 1990 Nichols model Lancair 235, serial number 334, powered by a 135-horsepower Lycoming O-290-D2 engine with a fixed-pitch wooden propeller. It had retractable tricycle landing gear and a maximum takeoff weight of 1,500 pounds. An experimental airworthiness certificate was issued on August 10, 1990. At the accident, the airframe had 1,131 total hours, the engine 2,758 hours with 1,131 since overhaul and 273 since top overhaul. The last condition inspection was on August 7, 2010. No unresolved airworthiness issues were found. The pilot had not flown the airplane since purchase and had expressed concerns about ground handling; he performed high-speed ground tests before the accident.
Weather
At 1853, the airport's ASOS reported wind from 330 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken ceiling at 5,500 feet, temperature 25°C, dew point 17°C, and altimeter 29.95 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane veered off the left side of the runway about 1,700 feet from the approach threshold while on the ground. The nose landing gear struck a runway edge light, and tire tracks continued about 100 feet before the airplane became airborne. It collided with trees and a residential backyard south of the airport. All structural components were present; flight control continuity could not be established due to damage, but discontinuities were consistent with overstress. The landing gear was extended. No preimpact anomalies were found with the braking system. The airplane had no nose-wheel steering.
The engine remained attached; internal continuity was confirmed, and compression was noted on all cylinders. Both magnetos produced spark. Fuel was present without contamination. No evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures was found. The propeller blades showed damage consistent with impact. A handheld GPS device was recovered but contained no track data for the accident flight.
Medical Information
An autopsy attributed the pilot's cause of death to blunt-force injuries. Toxicology tests detected no carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or drugs.