History of Flight
On March 11, 2014, at approximately 1408 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Waters Avid Bandit, registration N62PT, was destroyed after impacting terrain during approach to land at Washington County Airport (AFJ) in Washington, Pennsylvania. The sole occupant, a private pilot, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which had departed about 1340. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Two witnesses who worked at the airport reported that the airplane turned from a left base to final approach for runway 27. While on final, the airplane entered an approximate 90-degree left bank, followed by a continuous, spiraling, descending left turn toward the ground. The witnesses did not observe the impact.
A third witness, living about half a nautical mile from and perpendicular to the approach end of runway 27, reported hearing the airplane and seeing it "wobbling" from side to side. She then observed a hard left, descending turn with the nose pointing toward the ground. She did not see the impact but heard a muffled sound consistent with a crash. She noted the airplane was lower than any other aircraft observed in the traffic pattern in six years.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. According to FAA records, he was issued a third-class medical certificate on May 30, 2012, reporting 200 total hours of flight experience and zero hours in the preceding six months. Review of his personal logbook showed that as of October 21, 2013, he had accumulated 243.6 total hours, including 36.1 hours in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, high-wing, tricycle-gear, experimental amateur-built airplane was manufactured in 1998 and issued an experimental airworthiness certificate on November 18, 2013. It was powered by a Rotax 912-UL 81 hp engine and equipped with a composite, three-bladed propeller. Maintenance records indicated a conditional inspection was completed on July 12, 2013, at 398.4 total aircraft hours.
Meteorological Information
Weather observations at AFJ at 1415 recorded wind from 220 degrees at 7 knots, gusting to 17 knots, clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 18°C, dew point 6°C, and altimeter setting 29.68 inHg. At 1355, wind was from 240 degrees at 8 knots, gusting to 14 knots, with otherwise similar conditions.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane came to rest on a magnetic heading of 060 degrees, about 210 feet short of the approach end of runway 27, and approximately 370 feet south of the runway centerline. The propeller spinner was crushed and covered in mud. All three blades exhibited impact damage and chordwise scratching. The propeller gearbox was fractured at the fuel pump attachment point, exposing gears and the crankshaft flange.
The engine rested on the ground with the cowling destroyed. Cylinders Nos. 1 and 4 were buried in about 3 inches of mud. Two engine mount support tubes were fractured consistent with compression overload. The sump was detached, and the oil dipstick was not found.
Examination by the manufacturer, supervised by an FAA inspector, found that the engine could be rotated by hand with continuity through the powertrain, valvetrain, and accessory section. Compression was confirmed on all cylinders. Rotational scoring on the gearbox case adjacent to the propeller-driven gear and joint throttle positions on the dual carburetor setup were consistent with a low power setting at ground contact.
The cockpit and engine section were crushed downward about 20 degrees and to the right of airplane centerline about 15 degrees. The canopy was fragmented and destroyed. The firewall was crushed aft into the crew seats. The instrument panel was crushed. The carburetor control was full forward; both carburetor heat controls were full forward; the fuel selector was in the ON position. The pilot and copilot seats were disconnected from their attachment points, but the pilot's restraint harness was intact and unremarkable. Control continuity from cockpit to all surfaces was verified by visual inspection.
The left and right wings rotated 90 degrees horizontally to the left. The left wing was breached and destroyed; the right wing was breached, and its flaperon detached but still connected to the control tube. Left wing fuselage support struts were fractured due to overload; right wing struts lay across the cockpit, bent, and still connected to the fuselage. Both wing fuel tanks were empty, but rescue personnel reported about 10 gallons of liquid resembling automotive gasoline leaked from each wing.
The left main landing gear was crushed aft with buckling at the fuselage attachment; the right main gear was bent aft at the attachment with buckling. The rear fuselage and empennage were unremarkable; the tail wheel was bent outward to the right.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on the pilot. Toxicological testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected drugs and quantities consistent with those administered by first responders after the accident.
Additional Findings
A NTSB meteorologist evaluated weather conditions near the accident time and location. An upper air sounding from around 0800 indicated possible low-level wind shear and clear air turbulence near the ground. Surface wind was 4 knots; at 900 feet, wind was from 260 degrees at 18 knots. Given surface observations, it was likely that 20-knot winds at 500 to 1,000 feet above ground level were mixing down to the surface.