History of Flight
On June 27, 2013, about 2116 central daylight time, a Dankelman Vans RV-7A, registration N445RV, collided with power lines and trees approximately 0.9 miles northwest of Zuehl Airport (1TE4) in Marion, Texas. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed, and a post-impact fire ensued. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Huber Airpark (E70) in Sequin, Texas, at 2104, en route to 1TE4, about 12 miles southwest of E70.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector interviewed several witnesses. Prior to departure, the pilot refueled the airplane and appeared to have normal cognitive abilities. During takeoff from E70, the engine sounded normal. It was dark when the pilot made two attempts to land on Runway 17 at 1TE4, which was not equipped with runway lights and the airplane's landing lights were not on. Each attempt was followed by a departure from the traffic pattern. The accident occurred on the third approach. The aircraft struck two 14,400-volt electric power lines and impacted the ground 100 feet from a tree line on the edge of a farmer's field. The accident site was 750 feet south of Interstate Highway 10 and 0.9 nautical miles northwest of the airport, on airport property.
Radar data from San Antonio Approach Control showed the target squawking code 1200, not in radio contact. The target tracked toward 1TE4, with varying altitudes and ground speeds. It disappeared and reappeared multiple times before the final radar contact at 2116 northwest of the airport, consistent with witness reports.
Personnel Information
The 74-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine, multiengine land, and instrument ratings, as well as a flight instructor certificate with airplane single-engine and instrument ratings. His third-class airman medical certificate, dated September 28, 2011, was valid until September 30, 2012, and required corrective lenses. The medical certificate had expired. At the time of his last medical application in 2011, he reported 1,361 total flight hours.
Aircraft Information
N445RV (serial number 71938), a model RV-7A, was built by the owner-pilot and issued an Experimental Certificate of Airworthiness in 2008. Maintenance records were not located, so inspection dates, engine and propeller specifications could not be determined.
Meteorological Information
Weather reports from New Braunfels Regional Airport (KBAZ), 14 miles northeast of the accident site, indicated clear skies, visibility 10 miles, and winds from 120 degrees at 4 knots at 2051, and from 160 degrees at 9 knots at 2151.
Aerodrome Information
Zuehl Airport (1TE4) is a privately owned airport 4 miles south of Marion, Texas, elevation 592 feet msl. It has one turf runway, 17-35, 3,000 feet by 200 feet, with no runway lights or rotating beacon.
Wreckage and Impact Information
According to the FAA inspector, the left wing leading edge and left horizontal stabilizer struck and severed two power lines, with one line bearing a contact point. About 100 feet of power line wrapped around the empennage and trailed through tree tops. The right wing struck a large tree branch and was torn off, spilling fuel that fed a post-crash fire. The fire destroyed the cockpit and instrument panel, precluding definitive establishment of flight control continuity, engine controls, and cockpit switch positions. Chop marks on tree branches and scrape marks on the propeller were consistent with the propeller turning at impact. The airplane came to rest 100 feet beyond the trees and power lines on a magnetic heading of 200 degrees. The power company recorded a 380-amp fault around the time of the accident, which could have been triggered by the aircraft striking the lines or the lines contacting the ground.
Medical and Pathological Information
The pilot's wife stated he was in good health, had slept well, and was in an upbeat mood. He had not flown for 2-3 months and had landed only once after sunset at 1TE4, when it was not completely dark. She believed logbooks were on board, but a search of the hangar did not locate them. FAA medical records showed a special issuance third-class medical certificate with a corrective lenses restriction, and eyeglasses were found in the wreckage. The pilot had a history of heart disease.
Autopsy attributed death to "complications of hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease," with no antemortem traumatic injuries contributing. No soot was detected in airways or lungs, and the pathologist opined the pilot succumbed to cardiac disease. Toxicology detected 11% carboxyhemoglobin in femoral blood (though FAA toxicology found no carbon monoxide) and Losartan, a blood pressure medication, in heart blood.
The NTSB medical officer noted the pilot had a history of treated high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, and resected prostate cancer. He took losartan, triamterene, hydrochlorothiazide, and levothyroxine. His medical certificate had expired 9 months before the accident.