History of Flight
On June 28, 2014, about 0922 mountain daylight time, an unregistered experimental amateur-built SkyRaider collided with terrain near Lewiston, Idaho. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. The local personal flight had departed Williams Airpark near Lewiston about 0900. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
A witness observed the airplane taxi east, then turn west as the engine revved. After a pause, the airplane took off in windy, gusty conditions. The witness saw the airplane turn east in a climb, then lost sight of it in the traffic pattern. She ceased hearing the engine and then heard a thud. No engine sputter was noted.
Pilot Information
The 29-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating and a third-class medical certificate issued April 8, 2014, with no limitations or waivers. No personal flight records were found. According to FAA medical records, the pilot reported 50 total flight hours, with 5 hours in the previous 6 months.
Aircraft Information
The single-seat, high-wing airplane had fixed conventional (tailwheel) landing gear. It was not registered and had no serial number. Maintenance logbooks were not located for the airframe, engine, or propeller. A former SkyRaider dealer who helped recover the wreckage noted that early SkyRaiders used Rotax 277 engines, but the accident airplane had a Rotax 503. He also observed the tubing appeared lighter than typical SkyRaider tubing.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Neither the NTSB nor the FAA traveled to the site. The Nez Perce County Coroner reported the airplane came to rest inverted in a wheat field with the tail elevated. Photos showed no damaged crops or ground scars leading to the wreckage. The forward fuselage and wings sustained aft crush damage; the tail did not contact the ground and was undamaged.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Nez Perce County Coroner determined the cause of death as severe head trauma. No autopsy or toxicological testing was performed.
Tests and Research
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage. The engine crankshaft turned, and fuel was present. The propeller was a Powerfin model. One blade separated near the hub with a jagged, angular fracture; the other blade remained attached but split along its trailing edge. Flight controls were connected at the surfaces, but a separated elevator control rod end was observed.
The NTSB Materials Laboratory examined the fractured rod end and tubing. The fracture occurred in the threaded section welded into the tube. Both portions showed plastic deformation and overstress features; no pre-existing crack or corrosion was found. Further engine examination was not possible as the wreckage was disposed of.