History of Flight
On June 3, 2014, about 1410 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Phillips BD-4, registration N11DV, collided with terrain during approach to landing at Dayton Valley Airpark in Dayton, Nevada. The pilot, who had borrowed the airplane from its owner/builder, was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The cross-country personal flight had departed Minden, Nevada, around 1300, en route to Dayton. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
According to the owner/builder, the pilot flew from Dayton to Minden to add fuel, then proceeded to Reno, Nevada, to practice an instrument landing system approach. On the return to Dayton, the owner maintained radio contact with the pilot, who reported the airplane was flying beautifully with all instruments in the normal range. As the pilot transmitted that he was turning final, the owner observed the airplane make 2 to 2½ turns in a spin before impacting the ground.
A witness on the east end of the airport reported seeing the airplane descending straight down in a spiral without any engine sound. The witness's view of impact was blocked by a building, and she noted low wind velocity.
Personnel Information
The pilot was a 45-year-old airline transport pilot with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate with similar ratings. A second-class medical certificate was issued on July 19, 2013, with no limitations or waivers.
The owner reported the pilot had accumulated 2,829 total flight hours, including 54 hours in the previous 90 days and 27 in the previous 30 days. He had 24 hours in the accident make and model. A flight review was completed on February 12, 2013.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was an experimental amateur-built Phillips BD-4, serial number 333. It had a total airframe time of 1,233 hours at the time of the accident. The most recent condition inspection occurred on May 18, 2014.
The engine was a Phillips-built Chevrolet SM 350 automobile engine producing 325 horsepower. Total engine time was 50 hours, with 1 hour since the last inspection.
Meteorological Information
An aviation routine weather report from Carson City, Nevada, located 9 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, was issued at 1415 PDT. It reported wind from 310 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 21 knots; visibility 10 miles; clear sky; temperature 27°C; dew point 81°F; altimeter 29.97 inches of mercury. The owner, a pilot, reported wind from 250 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 15 knots.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination by the Washoe County Medical Examiner's office determined the cause of death as blunt force trauma. The autopsy revealed an enlarged heart and moderate to severe atherosclerosis of all main coronary arteries, with no focal myocardial lesions identified.
Toxicological tests by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute detected 10% carbon monoxide in blood (cavity); no cyanide or volatiles were found. Drugs detected included fexofenadine in urine (not in blood) and 55.8 (µg/ml, µg/g) salicylate in urine. Fexofenadine is a non-sedating allergy medication; salicylate is a metabolite of aspirin.
Tests and Research
Examination of the wreckage by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge found no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained severe crush damage. The control system had multiple disconnects with jagged fracture surfaces; cable separations were splayed. The engine remained attached, with upward crush damage to the oil pan and a non-rotating crankshaft. Spark plug electrodes had similar gaps; the number four plug broke at its base. The carburetor was crushed, but internal components moved freely. The propeller, an IVO three-blade Magnum model, sustained damage: one blade split and its metal rod bent, one blade split along the trailing edge, and one blade cracked perpendicular to the span.