What happened
On September 7, 2011, a Riffel Jerris L RV-7A experimental amateur-built airplane, registration N554JR, crashed near Winfield, Kansas. The flight originated from Justin, Texas, with the intention of visiting relatives in Kansas before proceeding to the Badlands Fly-in in South Dakota.
At approximately 0959, the pilot requested VFR flight following services from Wichita (ICT) East Radar. At the time of the radio call, the aircraft was level at 8,500 feet. Approximately six minutes later, radar and radio contact were lost. No distress calls were made by the pilot.
A witness near the accident site reported hearing a loud, revving engine and observing the airplane flying upside down and heading toward the ground. The witness noted that the cockpit appeared empty. Following the impact, the wreckage was found spread across a soybean field. The pilot was later discovered approximately one mile northwest of the main wreckage, and the aircraft's canopy parts were found scattered in the vicinity.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found that the aircraft impacted the ground at high velocity in a wings-level, slightly nose-down, and inverted attitude. The engine and propeller assembly showed evidence of high power at the time of impact. All flight control surfaces were accounted for, and investigators established continuity from the cockpit to the control surfaces, finding no evidence of disconnected or separated controls prior to the crash.
Examination of the canopy revealed that the roller tracks had been deformed in a manner consistent with the rollers being pulled upward from the tracks. Additionally, the pilot's lap seat belts were found attached to their anchor points, but the buckles showed no evidence of overload or stress, which is consistent with the belts not being latched at the time of the accident.
An autopsy of the pilot determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma. Toxicological tests were negative for alcohol and drugs, though a small amount of the antihistamine doxylamine was detected in the urine.
Findings
- The aircraft was likely controllable and the engine was producing power at the time of impact.
- The position of the pilot's body and the location of the canopy fragments suggest the pilot fell through the open canopy after the aircraft inverted.
- The reason for the initial loss of control could not be determined.