History of Flight
On March 29, 2013, about 1546 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Zodiac 601XL, registration N999NA, sustained minor damage during an in-flight upset near Collegedale Municipal Airport (FGU), Collegedale, Tennessee. The flight instructor was not injured and the private pilot was fatally injured. The instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that departed FGU about 1537.
The private pilot had purchased the airplane about 3 weeks before the accident and was unfamiliar with it. The flight instructor agreed to provide instruction and first flew the airplane solo on two uneventful occasions, totaling approximately 2 hours. The second solo flight ended just before the accident flight. Afterward, he shut down the engine and reviewed the airplane's characteristics with the private pilot. They then boarded, fastened seatbelts, and secured the canopy, but could not start the engine.
The private pilot unlatched and raised the canopy to call for assistance. A ground person provided a battery charger. As he started attaching the charger, the private pilot unbuckled his seatbelt to assist, but the ground person said he did not need to get out. The private pilot then refastened his seatbelt more hastily, and the flight instructor thought he heard a "click" but could not see the belt due to the center console. The canopy was lowered and latched again for the planned 20-minute flight.
About 5 minutes into the flight, the flight instructor heard a wind noise behind their heads, not heard on previous flights, and thought the canopy seal might be imperfect. As the flight progressed, the canopy appeared to open slightly more. While returning to the airport, the canopy pulled up enough on the latches that daylight was visible. The instructor tried to pull it down, but it opened completely and the airplane entered a negative-g dive. The private pilot lifted out of his seat and ejected from the cockpit. The instructor grabbed the control stick, arrested the dive, and landed uneventfully at FGU. Emergency responders later recovered the private pilot in a wooded area about 4 miles east of FGU.
Personnel Information
The private pilot, age 77, held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical was issued January 13, 2012, reporting 150 total flight hours.
The flight instructor, age 45, held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiengine land rating, a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land and rotorcraft-helicopter ratings, and a flight instructor certificate with airplane single-engine, rotorcraft-helicopter, and instrument airplane ratings. His most recent FAA second-class medical was issued October 29, 2012. He reported 4,750 total flight hours, with 2,793 in single-engine airplanes and 2 of those in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The experimental, amateur-built, two-seat, low-wing, fixed tailwheel airplane, serial number 6222, was assembled in 2009. It was powered by a Jabiru 3300A, 110-horsepower engine. The most recent conditional inspection was completed November 13, 2012, at which time the airplane had accumulated 57.8 total flight hours.
Meteorological Information
Lovell Field (CHA), Chattanooga, Tennessee, about 13 miles west of the accident site, reported at 1553: wind from 360 degrees at 8 knots, broken ceiling at 10,000 feet.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination by an FAA inspector revealed minor damage to the fuselage and canopy. Examination of the canopy and the private pilot's seatbelt revealed no failures. The inspector could secure and release both without difficulty, but noted the canopy fit was misaligned and that safety wire and turnbuckles had been installed to the bottom rear edges of the canopy to aid latching. While securing and releasing the canopy, she had difficulty determining when it was latched.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was performed by the Bradley County Medical Examiner's Office on April 1, 2013. Toxicological testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory detected Amlodipine in liver and blood.
Additional Information
A Garmin GPSMAP 296 was recovered and data downloaded. The airplane departed FGU at 1537 and flew an approximate 6-mile right arc around and back to the airport. At GPS time 1546:06, the airplane was at 2,356 feet GPS altitude and 99 knots. About 9 seconds later, it had descended to 2,047 feet. In the following 3 seconds, it descended another 259 feet to 1,788 feet at 1546:18, before the descent was corrected.