History of Flight
On October 5, 2011, at 1738 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Arion LI, registration N747HW, was substantially damaged when it impacted a house near Hedgesville, West Virginia. The airplane had departed from Green Landings Airport (WV22) just prior to the accident. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The personal local flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to several eyewitnesses, the pilot had been assembling the airplane since January 2011. The first flight took place on October 3, 2011, and the pilot was attempting to acquire the 40 flight hours required to fly the airplane to his residence in Danbury, Connecticut. Witnesses reported that shortly after takeoff, approximately 15 feet above ground level, the airplane pitched up to a 45 to 60 degree nose-up attitude and then appeared to stall just prior to impacting the house.
An internet forum entry dated October 3, 2011, stated: "first flight of the lightning N747HW today in West Virginia after 7 months building. Everything went as planned with no abnormal flight characteristics and smooth running engine... This is my second kit. First was a Glasair III and took 7 years to complete. Looking forward to many happy hours of flying. I will fly it to Connecticut after the 40 hours test phase."
Personnel Information
According to FAA records, the pilot, age 70, held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiengine land ratings and numerous transport category type ratings. He also held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land privileges, a limited flight instructor certificate, a flight engineer certificate, and a repairman experimental aircraft builder certificate for a Glasair III. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on December 4, 2007, with a limitation of "must have available glasses for near vision." At that examination, he reported 21,811 flight hours. At the time of the accident, his medical certificate had expired but had never been denied. The accident airplane met the criteria for light-sport designation, and the pilot was only required to have a valid driver's license and a pilot's certificate.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear, composite-constructed airplane, serial number 128, was manufactured in 2011. FAA records show it was issued a special airworthiness certificate on September 30, 2011, and was registered to the pilot. It was equipped with a Jabiru 3300A engine. According to a witness familiar with the construction, the airplane had about 4 total flight hours at the time of the accident. No maintenance logbook records were located.
Meteorological Information
The 1753 recorded weather observation at Martinsburg Eastern West Virginia Regional/Shepherd Airport (MRB), about 10 miles south, included wind from 340 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 23°C, dew point 10°C, and barometric altimeter 30.19 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted a concrete wall at a nearby residence in a nose-down attitude and fractured into two pieces just aft of the aft baggage wall.
Continuity was confirmed to all flight control surfaces from the control column and rudder pedals. Elevator continuity was confirmed via a push/pull tube bent approximately mid span with impact damage. Aileron continuity was confirmed from the control column to the right aileron bell crank; the left control column push/pull tube was fracture-separated at the base, but continuity was confirmed from the fracture point to the aileron bell crank.
The right wing exhibited leading-edge impact damage, with the outboard section impact-separated exposing the main wing spar. The main spar, fiberglass/composite, was bent in the positive direction. The aileron and flap were impact-separated. The right main landing gear remained attached but was bent outward about 40 degrees.
The empennage was impact-fractured approximately 65 inches forward of the elevator attach point. The elevator trim tab indicated about 8 degrees trailing edge down. The elevator and rudder remained attached.
The left wing remained attached at the root but exhibited impact damage about 74 inches outboard. Initial impact damage matched a 6-by-6 inch anchor post used to elevate the house deck. The flap was impact-separated; the aileron remained connected but its push/pull tube was separated from the bell crank.
The engine remained attached to the firewall; wood propeller blades were impact-separated at the hub. Engine mounts were bent. The gascolator, glass, was impact-damaged. The propeller spinner showed torsional twisting. The fuel pump contained blue fluid like 100LL aviation fuel. Spark plugs appeared new, tan-colored. Thumb compression was achieved on all cylinders; the right front cylinder had impact damage and weaker compression. No internal abnormalities noted. The magneto produced spark on 4 cylinders; two lead wires had impact damage. Throttle and mixture controls were found full forward but exact settings could not be determined due to damage. The oil dipstick had oil present.
The cockpit had impact crush damage. Left cockpit wall was bowed outward. Seats remained attached; seatbelts and shoulder harnesses stayed attached. Right seat belts operated normally; left seat belt webbing showed stretching, and the buckle was disconnected by first responders. The rudder pedals were manually adjustable. The firewall slid aft about 7 inches and was buckled. The canopy was impact-damaged; plexiglass pieces were co-located. The cabin midline seam had a longitudinal fracture.
The cockpit fuel selector was in the "R" position (right tank). The left wing fuel tank was full; the right tank had about 1 inch depth of fuel. Both caps were secured. A fuel receipt indicated 16.0 gallons were added the day prior. The ELT was located but no signal was reported.
Additional Information
A Garmin 696 GPS was recovered and sent to the NTSB Records Laboratory. The last recorded data at 1737:44 showed groundspeed of 55 knots and GPS altitude of 512 feet. Prior data indicated groundspeed consistently under 10 knots and GPS altitude between 436 and 486 feet.
According to CFR 61.23(c), a person must hold a medical certificate or a U.S. driver's license when exercising sport pilot privileges in a light-sport aircraft other than a glider or balloon. CFR 61.53(b) prohibits operations without a medical certificate if the pilot knows of a medical condition that would make operation unsafe. CFR Part 67 states that a history of permanent cardiac pacemaker implantation is disqualifying. The FAA "Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners" notes that pacemaker placement is disqualifying but special issuances may be considered.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on October 6, 2011, by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Manassas, Virginia, reported the cause of death as "blunt force trauma to thorax and extremities." Forensic toxicology by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected Amlodipine in liver and blood; Etomidate in liver (0.101 µg/mL, µg/g); and Midazolam in liver. Neither Etomidate nor Midazolam were detected in blood. Review of personal medical records revealed hypertension treatment with Amlodipine. Etomidate and Midazolam were documented as administered during hospital resuscitation. Trauma records also listed medications for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and arrhythmias.
During autopsy, an indwelling medical device was removed and sent to the manufacturer. No tachyarrhythmia or defibrillation was recorded. The autopsy showed an enlarged heart, a bulging left ventricle with left ventricular hypertrophy, minimal coronary artery disease, and a 3.0 cm area of interstitial fibrosis in the left ventricle consistent with a remote heart attack. Manufacturer records indicated a previous pacemaker had been exchanged for a combination pacemaker/automated internal cardiac defibrillator about 8 months prior.