History of Flight
On October 23, 2011, at about 1100 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Elkind Cozy MK IV, N795DB, collided with a tree in a soybean field while performing a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Lexington, North Carolina. The airplane was registered to a private owner and operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Substantial damage occurred to the airframe. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The certificated private pilot was killed; the certificated airline transport pilot passenger sustained serious injuries.
The flight departed Craig Municipal Airport (CRG), Jacksonville, Florida, at 0846 en route to Davidson County Airport (EXX), Lexington, North Carolina. The passenger reported that they canceled the IFR flight plan about 60 miles south of EXX and proceeded VFR to the airport. Approximately 20 minutes from EXX, the pilot informed the passenger that 7 gallons of fuel remained in the right fuel tank. The passenger encouraged the pilot to switch tanks, but he declined. While approaching EXX, the passenger asked if the pilot planned to land straight ahead on runway 6. The pilot stated he would enter a left downwind for runway 24. The pilot lowered the nose wheel and was about to turn onto base leg when the engine began sputtering. The pilot initiated a steep descending turn toward the runway and did not attempt to change the fuel tank. The airplane subsequently struck a tree about 1/8 mile from the runway 24 threshold.
A lineman at EXX observed the airplane in a steep descending turn east of the airport before it descended from view behind a tree line. Two other witnesses in the vicinity heard the engine sputtering followed by an impact sound.
Personnel Information
The private pilot, age 69, held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating, issued July 29, 2009. His logbook was not recovered; his wife stated it was in a flight bag in the airplane. He held a third-class medical certificate, issued November 18, 2010, with the restriction "must wear corrective lenses." On his medical application, he reported 725 total flight hours and 25 hours in the previous 6 months. His last flight review was conducted July 2, 2011. The certified flight instructor who administered the review stated the pilot purchased the airplane about one year before instruction began in April 2011. The pilot reported about 1,200–1,300 flight hours. The instructor provided 13 hours of instruction in the Cozy MK IV before signing off the flight review.
Aircraft Information
The Cozy MK IV is a four-place composite canard airplane with fixed main landing gear and retractable nose gear. Serial number 165, manufactured in 1996. It was powered by an experimental Lycon IO-360, 220-horsepower, horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine. The last condition inspection was on February 9, 2011, at a recorded tachometer time of 387 hours. The tachometer was destroyed at the crash site; total airframe and engine time could not be determined. The airplane was last refueled on October 16, 2011, in Palatka, Florida, with 37.62 gallons of 100 low lead fuel.
Meteorological Information
The 1115 EXX surface weather observation: wind calm, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 14°C, dew point 6°C, altimeter 30.16 inches of mercury. The flight crew received a weather briefing and filed a flight plan with Miami Contracted Flight Service at 0756 on the accident day.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located 1/8 mile east of runway 24 at EXX in a soybean field. The right wing collided with a tree 32 feet above its base, inboard of the right winglet, while in a left descending turn on a heading of 291 degrees magnetic. Fiberglass from the right wing leading edge was embedded in the tree. The right wing, right elevator, and right canard were found near the tree. The airplane continued along a debris line, impacting the ground 91 feet from the tree. The canopy separated at 105 feet, the left wing at 139 feet, and the main fuselage came to rest inverted 140 feet from the tree on a heading of 261 degrees magnetic. The debris line was 140 feet long.
The right side of the canard and right elevator were damaged and separated at the fuselage. The elevator control rod failed in overload. The nose cone and cockpit were fragmented forward of the strakes. The nose wheel separated from the strut; the strut was extended. The canopy and hinges separated; the canopy lock remained attached but the actuator rod separated. The canopy locking bolts were distorted. The left forward and rear canopy hinges separated from the rails. The forward windscreen and left side window were broken; the right side window was undamaged. The main landing gear separated at attachment points. The landing brake was retracted and undamaged.
The instrument panel was fragmented and separated. The throttle was at mid-range with loose friction; the mixture was full rich. The fuel selector valve was positioned between left main tank and off. The left and right seat bottoms were destroyed; seat backs damaged. Seatbelt mounts separated from the fuselage. Roll over structure separated from fuselage and seat backs. Left and right shoulder harnesses remained attached to the roll over structure. The combined left rear seat bottom and sump tank separated from the cabin floor; the left sump tank was not ruptured and held about 1 gallon of fuel. Fuel lines to the left sump tank were ruptured. The left seat back remained attached. The rear seatbelt and shoulder harness were fastened and undamaged. The combined right rear seat bottom and right sump tank remained attached; the right sump tank was not ruptured and contained no fuel. The right seat back separated. The right rear seatbelt and shoulder harness were fastened and undamaged.
The pilot's control stick and linkage were intact extending rearward to where the left aileron torque tube failed in overload. The pilot's canard linkage also failed in overload. The passenger's control stick and linkage were intact but damaged; the passenger's canard linkage similarly damaged. The left aileron push rod bell crank separated at the inboard wing end, consistent with overload. The right aileron rod end also failed in overload. The right wing and a section of center spar separated; the right wing remained bolted to the center spar. The right strake (fuel tank) separated at the wing root and was ruptured; no fuel or vegetation browning was present. The right fuel cap was secure with a tight seal. The leading edge of the right wing was damaged 9 feet outboard of the strake. Vortilions remained attached except the middle one bent rearward. Upper wing fiberglass layers were buckled. The right winglet remained attached but leading edge damaged; right rudder remained attached and undamaged; rudder cable separated in overload. The right aileron remained attached; linkage intact until the rod end at the wing, which separated in overload.
The aft engine compartment remained attached; firewall undamaged. Cowlings were fractured but attached. Engine remained on all mounts. The composite propeller remained on the crankshaft flange; blades undamaged; spinner fractured. The center section of the canard remained on its mounts; left side of canard and left elevator were fragmented. The inboard portion of the left wing remained bolted; remainder separated outboard of left strake. Leading edge damaged from root outward. Vortilions remained attached. Left winglet separated at intersection; rudder damaged but attached; rudder cable failed in overload within wing structure; aileron damaged but attached; aileron torque tube failed at inboard universal joint. Left main fuel tank ruptured; no fuel or vegetation browning; fuel cap secure.
Engine examination: exhaust pipes undamaged; induction tubes attached; oil sump intact with dipstick in place; oil suction screen clean; unmeasured oil in sump; oil filter media free of contaminants. Front oil cooler damaged; rear undamaged. Alternator and drive pulley undamaged; starter drive pinion retracted. Left magneto produced spark when rotated by hand. Right magneto location blocked; a Light Speed Engineering capacitive discharge ignition system was installed with ignition box behind firewall. Two coil packs on top with automotive spark plugs. CD ignition not tested because battery was removed. Top and bottom ignition harnesses undamaged. Vacuum pump disassembled; composite drive intact; pump produced air when rotated by hand.
Fuel system: fuel strainer contained about 1 teaspoon of blue liquid smelling of aviation gasoline; screen clean. Fuel lines to engine-driven pump and fuel injector servo contained fuel. Engine-driven pump contained fuel and produced pressure when actuated by hand. Throttle cable at mid-range; mixture at full rich. Fuel injector servo contained fuel; inlet screen clean; regulator disassembled with no anomalies. Fuel flow divider and nozzles from all cylinders showed no anomalies. Upper spark plugs had dark gray combustion deposits and worn normal condition; bottom plugs had dark brown deposits and worn normal condition.
Engine partially disassembled: rotated by hand; suction and compression on all cylinders; valve train continuity observed; accessory drive gears rotating; crankshaft and valve train continuity verified. Cylinders examined with borescope; no anomalies noted.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on October 24, 2011, determined the cause of death as blunt force trauma. Toxicological testing by the FAA's Bioaeronautical Research Science Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol in the blood; no ethanol in vitreous; no drugs detected in urine.
Additional Information
Notations on the pilot's printed flight plan for October 23, 2011, indicated the left main fuel tank had 15 gallons and the right main tank had 24 gallons. The airplane has 2 gallons of unusable fuel. The passenger stated the left tank had 20 gallons and the right tank had 17 gallons; he estimated 4 gallons would be used for start, run-up, and climb. Total flight time from takeoff to accident was 2 hours 14 minutes.
Estimated fuel consumption for the Ly-Con experimental engine, provided by Ly-Con Engines and Accessories, showed a burn rate of 10.33 gallons per hour at 65% power, 13.75 at 75%, and 14.66 at 85%. Calculated fuel burn for 2 hours 14 minutes at 65% would be 23.04 gallons; at 75% would be 30.66 gallons; at 85% would be 32.69 gallons, not including start, taxi, and climb fuel.