History of Flight
On October 6, 2011, at 1835 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Brinkerhuff Q-200, registration N2935R, collided with an approach light stanchion and the terrain while landing at Tulip City Airport (BIV) in Holland, Michigan. The pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot was performing touch-and-go landings at BIV and intended to fly to Padgham Airport (35D) in Allegan, Michigan.
The airplane was making a landing approach to runway 26 when it contacted an approach light stanchion. It then struck the ground and came to rest inverted in the grass approximately 134 feet before the approach end of the runway.
Two pilots located on the airport reported seeing the airplane performing touch-and-go landings prior to the accident. They stated the airplane and engine appeared and sounded normal, and the landings seemed “picture perfect.” They did not witness the accident as they became preoccupied with preparing their own airplane for flight. Another witness on a road bordering the airport reported that the airplane's landing approach appeared low.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine landing rating issued December 17, 1969, and a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings issued December 16, 1970. He was issued a third-class airman medical certificate on July 20, 2011, with a limitation that glasses must be available for near vision.
A logbook obtained during the investigation contained entries from January 26, 1973, to September 6, 2011, with large gaps between entries. The last recorded total time was 438.7 hours on June 17, 2007. The final entry, which did not include total flight time, was the only one in the accident airplane and listed a flight duration of 0.3 hours. Except for that last entry, all previous flights were in airplanes with a single wing arrangement. A friend reported the pilot had about 2 hours of flight time in the accident airplane. The pilot reported 472 hours of total flight time on his medical certificate application. He was also a member of the Marshall Soaring Club and was the pilot of a glider being towed during a fatal tow plane accident on August 21, 2011.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was an amateur-built Brinkerhuff Q-200, serial number 2036, built by the pilot from an incomplete kit and other parts. It was a two-seat composite airplane with tandem wings. The forward wing contained elevators providing lift and pitch control. Ailerons were mounted on the inboard section of the aft wing. Pitch and roll were controlled by a floor-mounted stick between the seats, and the rudder was controlled by conventional pedals. The airplane had conventional landing gear with main gear on the canard tips.
It was issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate and operating limitations on July 8, 2011, and operated in Phase 1 of Experimental Operation Limitation, requiring the first 40 hours of flight to be within 25 miles of Padgham Field (35D), Allegan, Michigan. The Hobbs meter showed 6.9 hours. The engine was a Continental O-200-A, serial number 61076-5-A. The airplane was fueled with 5 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel on August 2, 2011.
Meteorological Information
Weather recorded by the BIV Automated Surface Observing System at 1853 showed calm wind, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 22°C, dew point 9°C, and altimeter 30.25 inches of mercury. Sunset was at 1918, and at 1840 the sun was 6.1 degrees above the horizon on an azimuth of 257.2 degrees.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane contacted the left arm of a 14-foot 8-inch tall T-shaped stanchion of the medium intensity approach light system (MALSR), located about 460 feet from the approach end of the runway. The horizontal arm at the top had five lights; the center and left two lights were knocked off. White paint transfer was visible on the horizontal bar and diagonal brace. The distance from the contacted pole to the next pole (closer to runway) was 210 feet.
The first wreckage pieces, from the elevator trim tab, were found about 34 feet west of the light stanchion. The first ground impact was 190 feet west of the stanchion, with a 10-inch slash mark and propeller pieces. Pieces of Plexiglas were near the main impact mark. The main wreckage came to rest inverted on a heading of 194 degrees, 105 feet from the main impact mark.
Three punctures on the bottom of the left forward wing matched distances of 2 feet 6 inches and 2 feet 4 inches. Orange paint transfer was visible on the forward wing and landing gear cover. The left elevator remained attached at the inboard point, with impact damage correlating to the punctures. The wooden trim tab was broken off and found near the light stanchion. The right forward wing and elevator remained intact. The left aft wing was broken about 2 feet 6 inches from the fuselage, with the aileron attached. The empennage separated from the fuselage in front of the vertical stabilizer with control cables intact. The fuselage was cracked just aft of the wing.
Flight control continuity was established for aileron, elevator, and rudder. The left elevator control rod was longer than the right. The left torque rod lever contacted the top of the fuel tank when the control stick was pulled aft, preventing contact with the aft control stop; a notch had been filed in the fuel tank to increase aft travel. The throttle was found in the retarded position. Both propeller blades separated; pieces were found along the wreckage path and lodged in the fuselage. No fuel was in the tank, but a strong fuel odor and vegetation blight were noted. The battery cables were separated; attempts to start the engine failed due to impact damage. The oil filter mount was loose, and five quarts of oil were indicated. The propeller hub cone was not installed and was found in the pilot’s hangar. The engine had an electronic ignition for top plugs and a magneto for bottom plugs. The propeller turned freely, and compression and suction were noted on all cylinders. The magneto sparked when rotated. Borescope examination showed normal operational signatures. The throttle cable was connected; the mixture control was jammed against the oil tank.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy attributed the cause of death to multiple injuries sustained in the accident. Toxicology testing by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute was negative for all substances in the screening profile.
Additional Information
The airplane was equipped with a mini-cockpit camera, but the microSD card was missing, so no recorded data was retrieved. A friend reported that the pilot moved the airplane to BIV on July 19, 2011, for longer runway for initial test flights. The first flight was on September 6, 2011, after which adjustments to pitch and lateral control were needed. The pilot had used the wrong template for pitch control limits and added trim tabs to the elevators. He adjusted the elevator torque rods to provide 1/4 inch clearance between the torque rod lever arms and the fuel tank. On the day before the accident, the pilot indicated he would reattach the elevator trim control wheel, connect the airbrake control cable, and replace interior trim. A local pilot who was also an airframe and powerplant mechanic spoke with the accident pilot on the day of the accident and was shown how the elevator control contacted the fuel tank prior to the control stop. The throttle was located at the bottom center of the instrument panel above the control stick, requiring the pilot to reach across with the left hand while the right hand was on the stick. Quickie Aircraft Corporation plans recommended the throttle be on the left sub panel, and the pilot’s friend voiced concerns about the throttle position.