History of Flight
On May 12, 2012, about 1915 Pacific daylight time, an experimental light sport M-Squared Breese DS, registration N51336, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Whitewater, California. The pilot received fatal injuries. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot was a member of the Ultralight Squadron of America, based in Perris, California. The day before the accident, he flew from Perris to a private strip in Joshua Tree, California, then to Kelly Airport (CA51) in Lucerne Valley for a weekend event. On the morning of the accident, he flew to Joshua Tree and back. He did not fly again until departing for Perris about 1830. Just before departure, he told a colleague he had "better leave now" due to headwinds. Several members watched him take off and followed him visually until he was out of sight to the south. One witness reported the flight looked "bumpy."
About 1915, two persons in a car near Whitewater noticed the aircraft a few hundred yards ahead, about 400 feet above ground, heading west with wings "rocking." They observed a 270-degree left turn, then the aircraft "flipped" and began a rapid nose-down descent. The nose rose and rotated over the tail, inverting the aircraft. It then went into a steep nose dive. The witnesses saw a "flare" followed by a parachute. The parachute did not fully open or slow the descent; it started pulling the aircraft south. The aircraft impacted in a nose-down attitude, and the parachute continued pulling. The witnesses stopped, attempted aid, and called 911. Cal Fire received the call about 1919, dispatched at 1923, and arrived at 1935.
Personnel Information
The 50-year-old pilot held a sport pilot certificate for single engine land sport airplane, issued October 2010. No FAA medical records were on file, nor required. Records of flight time or experience were not obtained. A friend reported the pilot typically flew at 1,000 to 2,000 feet agl, considered him accomplished and "nearly invincible" with "more than nine lives," and noted he "wasn't one to check ahead" regarding weather. Another friend said it was the pilot's habit to remove the "Remove Before Flight" streamer from the parachute activation handle's safety locking pin but leave the pin in place.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Riverside County Coroner's autopsy report listed cause of death as "multiple blunt impact injuries." FAA toxicology found no carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or screened drugs.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was manufactured in 2007, powered by a 60 hp HKS 700E engine. The owner estimated total time about 210 hours; the pilot had about 9,000 total flight hours. A specification sheet for a similar aircraft with a 54 hp Rotax engine listed stall speed 27 mph, landing approach 31 mph, best angle of climb 36 mph, design maneuvering 55 mph, never exceed 74 mph. Cruise speed varied from 38 to 74 mph. In 2009, a rocket-powered Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS) parachute, model BRS-6 800, was installed. The installation instructions required the engine be shut down before activation to prevent bridle entanglement. BRS specified a maximum deployment speed of 138 mph and noted successful deployments as low as 100 feet, but no minimum altitude was cited.
Meteorological Information
The 1950 automated weather observation at a station less than 2 miles northwest of the impact site recorded winds from the west-northwest at 31 mph, gusting to 47 mph. An association pilot familiar with the area described it as "notorious for rotors" and strong winds. FAA Advisory Circular AC 00-6A describes mechanical turbulence resulting from wind flow disrupted by obstructions like rough terrain.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The aircraft came to rest inverted in desert foothills. An impact crater about 10 feet from the wreckage had a ground scar on the right side. All major components were present; forward fuselage crumpled aft, right wing crushed, left wing nearly intact, empennage bent upward. Flight control continuity was established for ailerons, elevator, and rudder; damage consistent with impact. The parachute activation handle was extended about 3 inches. Rocket casing components were found 160 feet west-southwest, and the rocket 320 feet west-southwest. The main bridle remained attached to the top of the aircraft, but lacked evidence of suspension. The parachute canopy was undamaged, but all shroud lines except one were severed near the bridle end; the cuts appeared neat and likely post-accident, but the investigation could not determine when, why, or by whom. The engine was displaced without catastrophic failure; oil filter undamaged, inline fuel filter clear, spark plugs secure, ignition harness undamaged. The throttle moved freely; choke cable fractured. Two of three propeller blades were undamaged, the third fractured; condition consistent with lack of rotation at impact. No parachute lines were tangled in the propeller. The damage matched witness reports of a steep nose-down trajectory. The pilot was wearing a helmet and restrained by lap and shoulder harness.