History of Flight
On September 4, 2011, about 0830 mountain daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Kitfox 7, registration N624JS, was substantially damaged when it impacted airport property shortly after takeoff from Caldwell Industrial Airport (EUL), Caldwell, Idaho. The certified private pilot/owner and his wife, the passenger, received fatal injuries. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions; no flight plan was filed.
The pilot and airplane were based at Rio Vista Municipal Airport (O88), California. They had departed O88 on September 2 for Idaho to visit relatives and attend a Kitfox fly-in. According to Lockheed Martin Flight Services, the pilot requested a weather briefing and planned to depart EUL at 0830 with a stop in Lovelock, Nevada, and final destination O88.
A Cessna pilot who taxied behind N624JS reported that at exactly 0800, he observed N624JS take off from runway 12, climb to about 50 feet, then heard the pilot announce a "short landing" on the remaining runway. He saw N624JS land and turn off onto the runup area for runway 30. The Cessna pilot departed runway 12, and about 20–30 minutes later heard the pilot of N624JS announce a "straight out" departure from runway 30.
GPS track log data from the accident pilot's handheld unit confirmed the observed takeoff-landing. After that, the airplane stopped briefly on the runup ramp at the end of runway 30, then taxied back to the original parking ramp. About 13 minutes later, it taxied again to runway 30 for another takeoff. The takeoff roll began about 5 minutes later. GPS data showed a maximum altitude of about 200 feet above ground level. Witnesses reported the airplane then entered a left spin and impacted the ground in a near-vertical trajectory.
Personnel Information
FAA records indicated the 69-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land rating. His personal flight log and other documents showed total flight experience of about 315 hours, including about 162 hours in the accident airplane. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued December 2010, and his most recent flight review was completed in the accident airplane in February 2011.
According to the Canyon County Coroner's autopsy, the cause of death was "massive, traumatic deceleration injuries involving the head, torso, and upper and lower extremities." Forensic toxicology examinations by the county and FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute detected no carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or any screened drugs except salicylate (aspirin).
Aircraft Information
FAA records showed the pilot completed building the airplane in 2008. It was equipped with a Rotax 912ULS 100 hp engine. The most recent annual condition inspection was completed November 17, 2010, at 119.27 hours total time. On August 27, 2011, propeller hub bolts were re-torqued; on August 29, 2011, oil, oil filter, fuel filter, and spark plugs were replaced, at 162.15 hours total time.
Meteorological Information
The EUL 0835 automated observation reported wind 110 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 9°C, dew point 2°C, altimeter 30.12 inHg. Temperature and dew point gave about 60% relative humidity. On a carburetor icing chart, the intersection fell in the "Serious Icing at Cruise Power" envelope.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest in a near-vertical nose-down attitude, on an approximate magnetic heading of 270 degrees, about 850 feet northeast of runway 12 threshold. The wreckage was tightly contained; no major components separated except the propeller and hub. The propeller reduction gearbox was fragmented; the propeller hub was separated from the engine. All three composite propeller blades were cracked but attached, consistent with lack of rotation at impact. The spinner was found in the baggage compartment, consistent with not being installed. Engine cowl, nose gear, cockpit, and wing leading edges exhibited significant aft crush damage. Aft fuselage had moderate buckling. Both wing fuel tanks were ruptured.
Impact positions of flaperons and pitch trim tabs could not be determined. The airplane had a ground-adjustable incidence horizontal stabilizer, found at maximum stabilizer leading edge down (maximum nose-up setting). No evidence of pre-impact flight control failures was observed.
Impact damage and first responder disturbance precluded definitive pre-impact settings of controls, switches, and valves, but no pre-impact failures or deficiencies were noted. No angle of attack or stall warning system was observed.
The engine was significantly impact-damaged. The propeller gearbox was fractured with witness marks consistent with lack of rotation. Both carburetors were fracture-separated. Intake/exhaust manifolds, oil filter, and muffler were crushed. Ignition units were partially attached and function-tested successfully. No fire, thermal damage, or sooting was found.
Installed air filters were significantly smaller than Rotax recommendations, and had less flow capability. The airplane lacked a carburetor heat system. The Rotax 912 Series Installation Manual stated that "provisions for preheating the intake air have to be made to prevent formation of ice in the intake air system."
Non-metallic fuel lines were date-stamped "3Q 04" and were no longer flexible. Desiccation or loosening since the accident could not be ruled out. Line material, compatibility with autogas, and service life could not be determined.
The fuel pump was fractured-separated; its diaphragm was intact, and interior was clean. It was sent to Rotax Austria, but condition precluded testing. Rotax noted the pump should have been replaced per Service Bulletin SB-912-053 (2007) due to risk of excessively high fuel pressure causing "engine malfunction and/or massive fuel leakage."
Cylinders, valves, and spark plugs exhibited yellow crystalline deposits appearing to be sulfur from fuel. Internal engine examination showed clean oil, no scoring, brinelling, thermal distress, or non-impact failures.
The only unknown weight was fuel onboard. To avoid exceeding maximum allowable weight, the airplane would have been limited to about 10 gallons. If tanks were full, weight would exceed by 100 pounds and CG would be about 1.7 inches forward of aft limit. Best estimate indicated takeoff weight about 60 pounds over maximum, with CG again about 1.7 inches forward of aft limit.
Additional Information
A handheld Garmin GPSMap 396 was recovered; track log data from 9 flights were downloaded. The first recovered flight was from Carson City, Nevada to Lovelock, Nevada on September 2, 2011. On the accident morning, the device was activated at 0739, the airplane made a brief liftoff from runway 12 and returned to the ramp at 0812. Thirteen minutes later, the device powered up again, the airplane taxied to runway 30, and takeoff roll began at 0830.