History of Flight
On November 5, 2012, at 1135 central standard time, an amateur-built Sorensen MX II Sprint collided with trees during an aborted landing from a private airstrip in Groesbeck, Texas. The pilot sustained fatal injuries and the airplane received minor damage. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions; no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from the private airstrip about 0941.
A handheld GPS on the airplane recorded data for the accident flight. The data showed the pilot took off on a southerly heading from the airstrip, which is approximately 1,000 feet long on a magnetic heading of 02/22. The airplane flew southwest toward Davis Prairie, then continued to an area northwest of Alto Springs, making several circling maneuvers and descending to 584 feet msl (about 150 feet agl). The airplane then headed east to Kosse before turning northeast back toward the departure airstrip. After maneuvering east of the airstrip, it made a low pass on runway 22 at about 100 feet agl, climbed, and lined up again with runway 22. The data indicated the airplane landed to the south, made a 180-degree turn, and departed to the north on runway 02. It then made a left-hand traffic pattern and returned to land on runway 02. The second-to-last data point showed the airplane about 400 feet down the runway at about 30 feet agl with a calculated ground speed of 32 knots. The last data point showed the airplane off the left side of the runway.
The pilot's wife reported to the FAA that the airplane appeared to abort the landing, then started to climb, banked left, and impacted trees. She stated the engine continued to run after impact.
Personnel Information
The 69-year-old pilot held an Airline Transport Pilot certificate with airplane multi-engine land rating and a Commercial Pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land rating. He also held an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic certificate. He did not have a current FAA medical certificate; his last was a first-class certificate issued on January 1, 2003, on which he reported 12,500 flight hours. No records indicated additional flight time. His wife stated he had about 3 hours in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The two-place amateur-built Sorensen MX II Sprint was constructed by the pilot from a Quicksilver MX II Sprint Kit, a single-wing, open-cockpit airplane often used as an ultralight trainer. The pilot purchased the kit on April 7, 2011, and registered the airplane on August 30, 2011. The airplane did not have an airworthiness certificate. It was powered by a 65-horsepower, two-cylinder, two-stroke liquid-cooled Rotax 582 engine and equipped with two 6-gallon fuel tanks.
The pilot had been addressing weight and balance and trim issues, shimming the stabilizer and moving the seats forward. Although he had not weighed the aircraft, postaccident weight and balance calculations using a comparable airplane's empty weight indicated the center of gravity was aft of the aft limit.
The hobbs meter indicated 13.1 hours; according to his wife, the pilot had flown about 3 hours. The GPS contained data from one previous flight.
Meteorological Conditions
At 1151, weather reported at Waco Regional Airport, 45 miles west of the accident site, was: wind 010 degrees at 8 knots; 10 miles visibility; clear sky; temperature 25°C; dew point 11°C; altimeter 30.04 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest in trees off the left side of runway 02, about 600 feet from the approach end. The nose was pointed up and higher in the trees than the tail, which was just above the ground. The airplane sustained minor damage. Flight control continuity was established during examination.
The pilot's wife stated she heard the engine running after impact, and it continued while she called 911. First responders found the pilot's seatbelt unbuckled and the pilot on the ground near the airplane. The engine ignition switch was found in the off position. Postaccident inspection showed the seatbelt was intact and operational.
Trees at the south end of the airstrip were 15 to 20 feet tall; those at the north end were 75 to 100 feet tall. The pilot's wife stated he previously took off and landed to the south due to the tree height.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on November 6, 2012, at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas reported the cause of death as "Multiple blunt force injuries." Forensic toxicology performed by the FAA found various substances in the pilot's specimens, including 7-amino-clonazepam in urine (not in blood), amlodipine, desmethylsertraline, dihydrocodeine in urine, diphenhydramine, hydrocodone in urine, hydromorphone in urine, methylphenidate in urine, pramipexole, ranitidine, sertraline, terazosin, and zolpidem in blood (0.031 ug/mL) and urine. According to his wife, the pilot was treated for hypertension, high cholesterol, prostatism, and occasionally took zolpidem for sleep. His medical records indicated treatment for hypertension, high cholesterol, prostatism, chronic pain syndrome, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome.