History of Flight
On May 23, 2014, about 1300 Eastern Daylight Time, a Grumman American AA1B, N8890L, was substantially damaged when it impacted several trees and terrain near Chester, South Carolina. The airplane had departed from Columbus County Municipal Airport (CPC), Whiteville, North Carolina, about 1130 with an intended destination of Heaven's Landing (GE99), Clayton, Georgia. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated by Warrior to Wings Aero Club as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91.
Radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration showed the flight was first detected at 1137:49 northwest of CPC at 1,200 feet mean sea level (msl). The flight proceeded northwest then turned west-southwest. Last radar data near CPC was at 1155:25 at 2,500 feet msl. Additional data from Charlotte Approach Control captured the airplane east of the accident location at 1301:00 at 2,600 feet msl, with the final return at 1306:36 at 2,300 feet msl near the accident site.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, helicopter, and instrument airplane, issued October 23, 2013, based on military ratings. He held a third-class medical certificate issued June 6, 2011, with no limitations. His logbook recorded 37.6 total flight hours, including 9.5 hours in the accident make and model, with the last entry dated May 18, 2014. The United States Marine Corps documented 243.7 total flight hours, including 78.1 hours in single-engine propeller aircraft. No logbook entries indicated the pilot had previously flown to GE99.
Aircraft Information
The Grumman American AA1B (serial number N8890L) was issued an airworthiness certificate on April 18, 1974, and registered to Warriors to Wings Aero Club on April 13, 2013. It was a two-place, all-metal, low-wing monoplane with fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a Lycoming O-235-C2C 108-horsepower engine that had accumulated 2,257.6 hours since new, with no recorded overhaul. The tachometer at the scene indicated 2,257.6 hours. The propeller was a McCauley 1A105 SCM 7153. The fuel system comprised a two-cell tank in the main wing spar, each cell holding 12 gallons (11 usable), indicated by vertical sight gauges in the cabin.
Meteorological Information
At 1255, the weather observed at Chester Catwaba Regional Airport (DCM), 8 miles northeast of the accident site, included wind from 310 degrees at 8 knots, variable between 250 and 350 degrees, visibility 7 miles, clear skies, temperature 32°C, dew point 16°C, and barometric pressure 30.03 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was discovered on May 26, 2014, in a wooded area within a 500-acre private hunting club at 34°40.21′N, 081°17.01′W. The main wreckage was inverted at an elevation of 484 feet msl. The debris path extended 35 feet from the first tree strike at a descent angle of about 38 degrees on a 273-degree heading. The area was devoid of fuel odor, with limited leaf blight nearby.
The fuselage, right wing, engine, and propeller were inverted at the base of a tree; the left wing was underneath. The windscreen was fractured, and first responders cut the right side for occupant recovery. Continuity was confirmed for flight controls except the left aileron and flap, which were fractured at the wing root. The flap indicator showed flaps retracted. The fuel selector valve was positioned between left and right tank detents; examination revealed the left and engine fuel lines open, the right line closed. The valve’s Teflon plunger was fractured, consistent with impact damage. The ignition key was in the “BOTH” position.
The empennage remained attached; the rudder and elevator were impact damaged but cable-connected. The vertical stabilizer separated but remained nearby. The left wingtip was separated; the fuel cap was secure, and the tank was empty. The right wingtip was separated; the fuel cap was found loose (opened by first responders), and staining consistent with 100LL fuel was observed on the wingtip. The right fuel tank was also empty.
The engine remained attached, and the propeller showed no S-bending or leading edge damage but had aft crushing at the flange. One blade was bent aft 7 1/4 inches from the hub, with chordwise scratches; the other had a slight bend near the tip. Propeller signatures indicated no rotation at impact. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was impact-separated and found in the “OFF” position; no ELT signals were reported.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy attributed the pilot’s death to blunt force trauma with sudden deceleration injuries. Toxicological testing detected acetone, ethanol (40 mg/dL in blood, 24 mg/dL in urine), isopropanol, n-propanol, and salicylate (33.8 ug/mL in urine). Putrefaction was noted as a source of ethanol.
Additional Information
A receipt showed the purchase of 11.92 gallons of 100LL fuel at CPC at 1121 on the day of the accident. The airplane’s Owner’s Manual listed fuel consumption between 4.5 and 6.5 gallons per hour at 2,500 feet msl, depending on rpm. The Lycoming Operator’s Manual indicated a fuel flow of about 7.3 gallons per hour at 75% power (2,350 rpm). An Apple iPad found in the wreckage was extensively damaged, and no data could be recovered. An undated flight plan discovered in the wreckage proposed a departure from Wilmington International Airport at 1300Z, routing direct to GE99 at 100 knots true airspeed, cruising altitude 6,500 feet msl, with 3 hours 30 minutes of fuel. The accident location was 129.2 nautical miles along the direct route from CPC to GE99. No weather briefing or flight plan services were found for the accident airplane. The flying club reported that the aircraft was rented at a dry rate; the pilot was required to purchase fuel. The club stated the airplane would have had a minimum of 30 minutes of fuel before the flight, per VFR requirements, and the pilot planned to refuel en route.