Accident Overview
On January 15, 2014, at 1607 eastern standard time, an American Champion 8KCAB, registration N469J, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain near Pittstown, New Jersey. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The personal flight departed New Castle Municipal Airport (UCP), New Castle, Pennsylvania, and was destined for Alexandria Airport (N85), Pittstown, New Jersey. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the accident site, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight History
The pilot had recently purchased the airplane from the airframe manufacturer's factory in Rochester, Wisconsin, and departed that morning to return to his home airport. Review of data from a handheld GPS recovered from the wreckage showed that the pilot departed Fox River Airport (96C), Fox River, Wisconsin, about 1004 and arrived at De Kalb County Airport (GWB), Auburn, Indiana, about 1129. A fuel receipt indicated the pilot added 21 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel at GWB at 1143. He departed GWB about 1203 and landed at UCP about 1335. The accident flight departed UCP about 1352. The airplane's final GPS-recorded position was logged at 1607:24 in the vicinity of the accident site.
Weather Conditions
Instrument meteorological conditions were present along the route and at the accident site. The National Weather Service Surface Analysis Chart for 1600 depicted a cold front extending over eastern New York and Pennsylvania into New Jersey. The accident site was located near this front. Station models showed overcast clouds, fog, and restricted visibility. The area forecast had been amended by AIRMETs calling for ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibilities below 3 statute miles. At Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), about 15 miles west of the accident site, the 1551 weather reported 1/4 statute mile visibility in fog and vertical visibility of 300 feet. At Quakertown Airport (UKT), about 20 nautical miles southwest of the destination, the 1555 weather reported 3/4 statute mile visibility and an overcast ceiling of 100 feet.
Witness Account
A witness at a dairy farm near the accident site reported that she was startled by the sound of a low-flying airplane. Despite the noise of her tractor, she heard the airplane overfly her position heading east. The airplane sounded very loud, and the engine sound was smooth and continuous. She saw the silhouette of an airplane, but due to dense fog, she could not determine its type or configuration. She estimated the airplane's altitude as less than the height of nearby high-voltage transmission towers, which she believed to be about 150 feet tall. After losing sight of the airplane, she smelled an odor she later identified as aviation fuel and contacted authorities. The accident site was located about 2,800 feet east of her position.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings including airplane single-engine land. He did not hold an instrument rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on June 6, 2012, at which time he reported 4,000 total hours of flight experience. Personal flight logs were not recovered.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was an American Champion 8KCAB, manufactured in December 2013, certificated in both normal and acrobatic categories. It was equipped with basic flight instruments: altimeter, vertical speed indicator, airspeed indicator, and turn coordinator. No attitude or heading indicators were installed, and the airplane was not equipped for instrument flight. It had a single communications radio, a transponder, but no navigation radios. Recovered from the accident site were a handheld GPS, a tablet computer with aviation software, and a handheld automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast receiver capable of providing in-flight weather products.
Wreckage Examination
The initial impact point (IIP) was identified by tree strikes near the crest of a hill at an elevation of 417 feet, approximately 50 feet above ground level. A wreckage path extended on a magnetic heading of 100 degrees for about 460 feet, with broken branches, windscreen fragments, and other debris. A ground scar was located about 300 feet beyond the IIP. The main wreckage came to rest beyond an embankment on a ledge, with both wings largely separated. The forward fuselage and firewall were deformed and displaced aft. The empennage and tail surfaces remained relatively intact except for the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator, which were bent downward. Control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit controls to the elevator, ailerons, and rudder. The altimeter was set to 29.70 inches of mercury. The engine remained attached; it showed significant impact damage. The propeller blades were broken off at the hub. The engine rotated freely, with compression on two cylinders, and both magnetos produced spark. The fuel system showed no anomalies.
Additional Information
A handheld GPS unit recovered from the wreckage provided detailed track data. The airplane generally maintained a GPS altitude between 2,000 and 3,000 feet during the en route portion. About 1604, it began descending from 3,000 feet, descending at an average rate of about 1,600 feet per minute for 32 seconds. By 1605:58, the airplane was at about 1,100 feet GPS altitude (600 feet above terrain). At the point where it overflew the witness, it was about 375 feet above terrain. The final GPS position recorded at 1607:24 showed an altitude of about 270 feet above terrain. The final track was oriented roughly toward the destination airport, about 5.6 nautical miles east.
FAA Advisory Circular 61-134, published in April 2003, discusses the hazards of continued VFR flight into IMC and emphasizes the importance of weather information and pilot skills. The circular recommends that non-instrument-rated VFR pilots not attempt to fly in IMC and that pilots fly above minimum safe altitudes.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by Forensic Pathology Services, LLC determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force trauma. Toxicological testing by the FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected no carbon monoxide, ethanol, or drugs.