History of Flight
On September 15, 2011, about 1705 eastern daylight time, a Remos Aircraft GMBH Flugzeugbau GX, registration N107GX, sustained substantial damage after impacting terrain while maneuvering over a residential area and golf course near Noblesville, Indiana. The aircraft had departed from Purdue University Airport (LAF) in Lafayette, Indiana, about 1620. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot, aged 21, and his passenger were fatally injured.
According to statements, the pilot's father had flown the aircraft to LAF, where the pilot took possession for a flight with his college roommate. The father was unaware of the intended destination. The passenger's parents, who lived near the Harbour Trees Golf Club, reported that their son had planned to fly by their house. During the flight, the passenger spoke with his parents and indicated they were flying by the house; the parents advised they were not home but near White River Elementary.
A witness observed the aircraft flying at an estimated altitude of 500 to 600 feet above rooftops and trees. After a brief level flight, the aircraft quickly began to descend and turned slightly left. Another witness reported seeing the aircraft approach from south to north, swoop down near the golf course's number 3 green, then pull up rapidly. The aircraft later flew over a house and crashed nose-first into the ground, east to west, near the same area.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings. His logbook, dating from May 21, 2009, to September 15, 2011, indicated a total flight time of 149.9 hours, with 91.7 hours in Remos GX aircraft. He received his private pilot certificate on August 19, 2009, with 58.2 hours. On August 8, 2011, he passed an instrument rating checkride. At his most recent FAA medical examination on May 29, 2009, he failed the color vision test, resulting in a third-class medical certificate with limitations: not valid for night flying or by color signal control, and must wear corrective lenses for distant vision. No subsequent records indicated removal of these restrictions.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was a 2008 Remos GX, serial number 293, issued a special airworthiness certificate as a light-sport airplane, registered to DB Aircraft LLC on November 9, 2009. It was powered by a Rotax 912 UL-S engine, serial number 5651588. The most recent maintenance entry, dated August 31, 2011, indicated a 100-hour inspection at a Hobbs time of 477.9 hours and total airframe time of 477.9 hours. An engine logbook entry on the same date noted an inspection per manufacturer procedures but did not specify the type. The aircraft was not equipped with the optional parachute rescue system. According to the Pilot Operating Handbook, the stall speed with flaps extended (40 degrees) was 38 knots, and with flaps retracted, 44 knots.
Meteorological Information
The Eagle Creek Airpark (EYE) ASOS, about 19 nautical miles southeast of the accident site, reported conditions at 1653: wind 020 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 16°C, dew point 1°C, altimeter 30.29 inches Hg. Earlier at 1553, wind was 040 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 18 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The main wreckage, including fuselage, empennage, wings, control surfaces, engine, and propeller, was located on the edge of a sand trap adjacent to the number 3 green of Harbour Trees Golf Course, at an elevation of about 836 feet mean sea level. The aircraft came to rest upright, oriented approximately south (tail) to north (nose). The left wing remained attached at the wing root; the right wing was displaced forward of the fuselage. Both wing struts showed overstress separations at the fuselage attach points. Wing leading edges exhibited crushing, with the left wing and forward fuselage showing a 45-degree crush angle, and the right wing at about 90 degrees. The instrument panel was damaged; the magneto key switch was in the both position. Two Dynon displays and a handheld GPS were removed for data download. Flight control continuity was confirmed from all surfaces to the cockpit. The flap jack screw was extended about 27 threads (approximately 295 mm), corresponding to a flap extension of about 23 degrees. The engine was examined and found to have no mechanical anomalies; rotational scoring and sand ingestion were consistent with operation at impact. Fuel consistent with aviation fuel was present in the fuel pump and tested negative for water. The fuel pump diaphragm had small cracking on the dry side.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt traumatic injuries. The FAA Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report indicated no carbon monoxide or cyanide detected in blood; ethanol was detected in vitreous (51 mg/dL) but not in blood or urine, and the notes stated the ethanol was from sources other than ingestion. No drugs were detected in urine.
Tests and Research
Data from the Dynon displays showed that fuel flow and pressure remained above minimum values throughout the recorded data. GPS data (not correlated to local time) recorded the following last four positions: at 21:04:37, groundspeed 61 knots, track 171.1 degrees, altitude 1,323 feet; at 21:04:40, 52 knots, 133.9 degrees, 1,298 feet; at 21:04:43, 35 knots, 85.6 degrees, 1,213 feet; at 21:04:45, 24 knots, 104.3 degrees, 1,098 feet. The first GPS record at 21:04:12 showed a groundspeed of 40 knots at a track of 32.9 degrees and altitude of 1,344 feet.
Federal Aviation Regulation 14 CFR 91.119 specifies minimum safe altitudes: generally, an altitude allowing an emergency landing without hazard; over congested areas, 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a 2,000-foot radius; over other areas, 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas, where not closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.