History of Flight
On April 27, 2013, about 0830 eastern daylight time, a Dean Highlander experimental amateur-built airplane, N58LD, impacted terrain after executing a go-around at Bryan Aero Park, Bryan, Ohio. The commercial pilot was fatally injured and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (KARB), Ann Arbor, Michigan, about 0715.
The passenger reported that they were approaching the runway to the east when the pilot noticed another airplane, a Taylorcraft, on the runway. The pilot commented to the passenger about the other airplane landing in the opposite direction. At low altitude, the pilot turned left and advanced the throttle. The passenger observed the Taylorcraft take off and make a right turn, which conflicted with the Highlander's flight path. The Highlander pilot executed a hard left turn with about 45 degrees of bank and advanced the throttle to full forward. The Highlander started to slow, so the pilot applied full right aileron with no effect. The airplane was very slow and continued turning left until it impacted terrain.
The pilot of the Taylorcraft reported monitoring radio frequency 122.8, with light wind, and he elected to land to the west. During the landing flare, he noticed the Highlander landing in the opposite direction. He aborted his landing, executed a go-around, and continued on the runway heading. He was climbing out near the west end when he noticed the Highlander come up from underneath, pass by his right window in a left hand turn, and continue into the ground.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 62, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane, issued July 28, 1976. He was issued a second-class medical certificate on February 24, 1989, with no restrictions. His most recent logbook showed he completed his flight review on October 5, 2011. He had accumulated 2,248 hours of total flight time, with 896 hours in the accident airplane type, and about 44 hours in the accident airplane in the previous 30 days.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Dean Highlander experimental amateur-built, two-seat, high-wing, tailwheel airplane, serial number JA189-09-09, manufactured in 2010. It was powered by a 120-horsepower Jabiru 3300 reciprocating engine driving a Sensenich R64ZN propeller. Maintenance records showed a conditional inspection on April 2, 2012, and an oil change on April 15, 2013, with normal oil sample results. The Sensenich propeller was installed on June 29, 2011.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather reporting station, Defiance Memorial Airport, Defiance, Ohio, 12 miles southeast, reported at 0753: wind calm, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 5°C, dew point 2°C, pressure 30.34 inHg. At 0853: wind from 090° at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 10°C, dew point 3°C, pressure 30.33 inHg. The Taylorcraft pilot reported calm wind at the time of the accident.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane came to rest upright on a northwesterly heading. The wings were partially separated at the fuselage attachment points. The underside of the fuselage was crushed upward. The main landing gear separated from the fuselage, and the propeller blades separated at the propeller hub. FAA inspectors confirmed flight control continuity to all control surfaces. The airframe and engine showed no evidence of malfunctions or failures that would have precluded operation.
Additional Information
An MGL Avionics Stratomaster Enigma electronic flight information system was examined by the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory. With power applied, two information pages were available: a flight log viewer and a radio frequency selection page. The flight log displayed information for the last logged flight. The MGL Avionics Com Radio from the Highlander showed frequencies 122.85 in the active position and 122.8 in the standby position.
An autopsy performed by the Lucas County Coroner's Office listed the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt trauma, manner accidental. Toxicology testing by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute was negative for alcohol but identified fexofenadine, its metabolite, atorvastatin, salicylate, sertraline, and its metabolite. A medication card at the accident site listed lisinopril, metformin, Byetta (exenatide), sertraline, Zocor (simvastatin), and Allegra (fexofenadine).