History of Flight
On March 24, 2012, at 1824 central daylight time, an amateur-built Enbody GY 201 Minicab, registration N416FC, impacted terrain in a residential area in Granite Shoals, Texas. The flight had just departed from Sunrise Beach Airport (2KL) in Sunrise Beach Village, Texas, and was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The runway used for departure could not be determined from witness statements.
Witnesses located within one mile southeast of the airport reported seeing and hearing the airplane. One witness observed the aircraft flying east before turning north. The engine was heard sputtering or backfiring before losing power. A witness described the engine sound as "starving for fuel." The airplane then descended into terrain.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 74, held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. He did not hold a current medical certificate but was not required to for light-sport aircraft operation. The most recent FAA medical certificate was a third-class issued on December 15, 2003, at which time he reported 400 flight hours. A pilot logbook found during the investigation had its last entry dated July 7, 1998, showing 359.5 total flight hours. The pilot also held a Repairman Experimental Aircraft Builder certificate for the accident aircraft, issued September 8, 1994.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 1994 amateur-built experimental GY 201 Minicab, serial number 01, constructed primarily of wood and fabric. It was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with two seats and a tailwheel configuration, powered by a Continental C85 engine. No airframe or engine logbooks were located. The tachometer time at the accident was 88.68 hours. The aircraft had a maximum takeoff weight of 1,250 pounds, a cruise speed of 94 knots, and a stall speed of 40 knots, meeting the FAA definition of a light-sport aircraft.
Meteorological Information
At 1835, the weather recorded at Horseshoe Bay Resort Airport (DZB), about 5 miles south-southeast of the accident site, was wind calm, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 26°C, dew point 15°C, and altimeter 29.96 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane struck a tree and then terrain, coming to rest against a wooden fence in a residential yard about 0.75 miles southeast of 2KL. It came to rest on its left side. The outboard portion of the left wing and the aft fuselage separated during impact. Flight control continuity was established; fractured control cables showed overload separations. Several wing ribs were clamped with "C" clamps to metal brackets on the wing spar, and duct tape patches were found on the fabric skin.
The engine rotated freely by hand, and continuity was confirmed. Thumb compression was noted, lower on cylinders 1 and 3. Degraded fuel lines were observed, and safety wire was missing from carburetor screws. The carburetor fuel screen was approximately 75% blocked with dirt and debris. Duct tape and cable ties were found on the fuel line connection near the tank. Both engine-driven and electric fuel pumps were intact. The fuel tank was ruptured, and a strong odor of automotive fuel was present; the amount of fuel at takeoff was unknown.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on March 25, 2012, at the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office indicated the pilot's remains were soaked in fuel. Forensic toxicology by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected ethanol at 169 mg/dL in urine, 161 mg/dL in blood, and 162 mg/dL in vitreous. Other substances found include acetaminophen, cetirizine (urine only), citalopram (blood and urine), dextromethorphan (blood and urine), dextrorphan (blood), dihydrocodeine (urine only), gabapentin (urine only), hydrocodone (blood and urine), N-desmethylcitalopram (blood and urine), and tramadol (blood and urine). The report noted that ethanol is a central nervous system depressant and also an additive in automotive fuel, and that several medications may impair mental and physical abilities.