History of Flight
On August 30, 2013, at approximately 1340 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, registration N8063B, was substantially damaged during a takeoff attempt at Limington-Harmon Airport (63B) in Limington, Maine. The student pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local solo instructional flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to several witnesses, the student pilot completed an engine run-up before taking off from runway 29. One witness observed the airplane swerving after liftoff before crashing. All witnesses reported hearing the engine operating throughout the event, with one describing the engine as running smooth and normal.
Personnel Information
The student pilot, aged 58, held a logbook endorsement for solo cross-country flights dated June 15, 2013. His most recent logbook entry, from August 10, 2013, showed 95 hours of total flight time. The pilot had a history of Type 2 diabetes and had been prescribed multiple medications, including insulin and other diabetes treatments. His FAA medical certificate application details, including a denial and subsequent special issuance with limitations, are documented in the NTSB Medical Factual Report.
Aircraft Information
N8063B was a Cessna 172 powered by a Continental O-300-A engine driving a two-bladed propeller. The most recent annual inspection occurred on August 26, 2013, with a tachometer time of 4,242.0 hours and engine time of 439.7 hours since major overhaul. The airplane was equipped only with lap belt restraints.
Meteorological Information
A witness reported light wind from the right of the runway. At 1351, the nearest weather reporting airport, about 17 nautical miles to the southeast, recorded scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, variable winds at 3 knots, temperature 26°C, dew point 18°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.84 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted the ground to the left of runway 29, approximately 2,000 feet from the runway's beginning. A wreckage trail began about 50 feet left of the runway, including green lens material and right wingtip position light remnants. About 20 feet further, a 4-foot impact crater in sandy soil was found, and 60 feet beyond that, the airplane came to rest upright, facing opposite the takeoff direction. All flight controls were present, and continuity was confirmed except for the aileron interconnect cable, which separated in a broomstraw pattern consistent with overload. The flaps were found retracted. The engine compartment was bent to the right, the underside exhibited upward and rearward crushing, and the nose landing gear was fractured. The outer 2 feet of the right wing had aft crushing, and the right wingtip was deformed upward. Both control yokes were bent downward and to the right. No shoulder harnesses were installed. The propeller showed chordwise scratching and streaking, with burnishing on one blade's leading edge. Engine crankshaft continuity, compression, and spark were confirmed. The fuel selector was in the "Both On" position, and a fuel sample was free of water and debris. The tachometer indicated 4,242.7 hours.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner attributed the cause of death to multiple blunt impact trauma to the head and chest. Additional findings noted the pilot was 6 feet tall and weighed 295 pounds (BMI 40.0). The pilot was found to have significant hypertensive and coronary artery heart disease, with a heart weight of 590 grams and 85-95% occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The left ventricle wall was 2.0 cm thick (normal up to 1.3 cm). Toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team detected 35.9 µg/mL of salicylate (a metabolite of aspirin) in urine; no other drugs were identified. Lisinopril was not detected, and atorvastatin was not expected to be identified due to metabolism.
Probable Cause
Not provided.