History of Flight
On March 4, 2013, at 1625 central standard time, an amateur-built Michael E. Fisher Celebrity airplane, registration N70785, suffered an in-flight structural failure and loss of control while performing aerobatic maneuvers near Terrell, Texas. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by impact and a post-impact fire. The personal flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions; no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from Mesquite Metro Airport (HQZ), Mesquite, Texas, at an unknown time.
Several witnesses observed the airplane conducting aerobatics. One witness reported five to seven barrel rolls; as the airplane leveled off, the left upper wing separated, remaining attached by wires and trailing behind as the airplane descended. Another witness heard engine power changes during two loops followed by a double roll. After flying level for about one mile, the airplane performed two more loops. During the second loop, two sections of the wing separated and "fluttered away" as the airplane continued ascending. The airplane then entered an aerodynamic stall and descended.
The airplane impacted a field with scattered small trees. The fuselage, empennage, and lower left wing were consumed by the post-impact fire. Separated wing sections were located in a wooded area about half a mile east of the main wreckage.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 69, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating and a third-class medical certificate issued August 23, 2012, which required glasses for near vision and was valid until July 31, 2013. He reported 1,122 total flight hours on his medical application. The last logbook entry was dated May 7, 2012, showing 927.79 hours; none were logged in the accident airplane make and model. The logbook included comments about aerobatic maneuvers.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a 1993 experimental amateur-built Michael Fisher Celebrity, serial number AV1057, issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate on September 28, 1993. It was a two-place biplane with conventional landing gear, powered by a 125-horsepower Continental IO-240 engine. Construction featured a fabric-covered welded tubular steel fuselage and empennage, with wooden wing spars and ribs also fabric-covered. Interplane struts connected the upper and lower wings, and inverted "V" cabane struts connected the upper wing to the fuselage.
The pilot purchased the airplane on January 19, 2013. The most recent condition inspection was performed on January 18, 2013, at a total airframe and engine time of 195.3 hours. The emergency locator transmitter battery was replaced on January 22, 2013, at 197.82 hours—the last airframe logbook entry. Total time at the accident could not be determined due to the fire. Static load test documents indicate design load factors of +4 and -2 G's, with ultimate load factors of +6 and -3 G's.
Meteorological Information
At 1653, weather conditions at Terrell Municipal Airport (TRL), 3 miles northeast of the accident site, were: wind from 170 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 21 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; clear sky; temperature 24°C; dew point 10°C; altimeter 29.64 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The upper cowling, engine, fuselage, lower left wing, main landing gear, empennage, and tail wheel were charred, melted, and consumed by the post-impact fire. The upper left wing was fractured at mid-span; spars and ribs on that wing and both upper and lower right wings were broken up and aft, with fabric torn and shredded. The right forward interplane wing strut tube was broken at the bottom wing mounting bracket, showing elongation, necking, and a 45-degree cone tear consistent with tension overload. Aileron cable failures to the top wing and bottom right wing were consistent with overload during wing separation. Flight control continuity to elevator and rudder was confirmed. The engine showed continuity throughout; propeller blades were broken off at the hub and found at the site, and the spinner was crushed aft and twisted counterclockwise.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on March 5, 2013, at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences at Dallas listed cause of death as blunt force injuries. A Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute was negative except for Metoprolol in muscle and liver tissues, a beta blocker used for hypertension and coronary artery disease.