History of Flight
On September 29, 2013, at approximately 1555 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Cowper Pitts Special S-1E (registration N85AT) was destroyed following a collision with terrain after an in-flight loss of control near Edinburg, New York. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Plateau Sky Ranch Airport (1F2) about five minutes before the accident.
Witness Observations
A witness at 1F2 reported that the pilot was airborne for about five minutes before the crash. Initially, the witness did not pay attention to the airplane's attitude because "all sounded normal." He noticed an increase in RPMs, turned toward the airplane, and saw it "banked and nose down towards the ground." The airplane disappeared below the tree line, and the witness then observed smoke from the accident site.
Another witness on a nearby road observed the airplane flying upside down, "teetering" back and forth as if trying to right itself. After about 15 seconds, it descended into the trees.
A third witness reported seeing the airplane descend "really fast" toward a tree line, suddenly climb back up, then circle east again and "go straight down" into the trees.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was a single-seat, experimental, amateur-built bi-wing design airplane, powered by a single Lycoming O-360-A4A engine rated at 180 horsepower. According to FAA records, the airplane was built in 2012 and received a Special Airworthiness Certificate on November 8, 2012. The aircraft and engine maintenance logbooks were not recovered after the accident.
Wreckage and Impact
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage at the accident site, located in a wooded area about one-half nautical mile south-southwest of 1F2. The wreckage was confined to one area with no discernible linear path. A post-crash fire consumed most of the wreckage. The NTSB and FAA examined the remnants on November 13, 2013, at a private storage facility.
Most of the fuselage's fabric skin was burned away, exposing the steel tube structure. The rudder and elevator remained attached to the empennage. Rudder cable continuity was confirmed to the left rudder pedal, which was broken free of the fuselage. The right rudder cable was separated about 2 feet aft of the pedal connection with overload signatures. The elevator push/pull tube had a compression kink and was broken at the threaded end with bending overload. The upper portion of the cockpit control stick was broken off near its base and not located; the lower end exhibited overload signatures. The elevator trim tab was observed at about 15 degrees tab down.
The wings, of wooden construction with fabric skin, were largely consumed by fire. Aileron push/pull tubes, hinges, and hardware showed overload fractures; the ailerons were consumed.
Engine examination revealed impact and heat damage. The pressure carburetor was broken off from the oil sump. The fuel strainer bowl was clear of debris; the fuel filter element showed heat distress and crumbled when handled. A small amount of brown-colored water remained inside the filter bowl. Spark plugs were normal in color with minimal wear and operated normally on a test bench. Ignition harness wires were undamaged. Borescope inspection of cylinders and piston heads showed no anomalies.
The propeller could be moved about 10 degrees due to flange impact damage. One blade was bent forward about 20 degrees; the opposite blade was bent aft about 60 degrees with tip curl, twist, chordwise scratching, and surface polishing. The spinner showed twisting deformation around the hub.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination of the pilot was performed on September 30, 2013, at Albany Medical Center. The cause of death was listed as "Multiple severe traumatic blunt force injuries" with manner of death "Accident." Forensic toxicology testing by the FAA's CAMI laboratory detected no carbon monoxide, ethanol, or drugs. Cyanide testing was not performed.