Accident Overview
On July 23, 2014, about 1020 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Great Lakes 2T1A, N47149, was substantially damaged when it impacted swampy terrain near Lillian, Alabama. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The local personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions; no flight plan was filed.
Flight History
The aircraft departed Ferguson Airport (82J), Pensacola, Florida, about 1010. The pilot had previously completed a 15-minute scenic flight with a different passenger, which was uneventful. After that passenger deplaned, the pilot boarded another passenger for another 15-minute local flight. When the airplane did not return, search and rescue procedures were initiated. An Alabama State Police helicopter tracked the pilot's mobile phone and located the wreckage about 1600, approximately 5 miles northwest of 82J in swampy terrain.
The airplane was not required to be equipped with a transponder. Review of FAA radar data revealed primary targets near 82J, consistent with a departure on runway 18, a left downwind leg, and a left turn to the west. After a westerly track of about 4 miles, a 1-mile gap in data was followed by five targets on a northerly track near the accident site.
Two witnesses near the accident site reported seeing a biplane shortly after 1000, flying low below a cloud layer about 500 feet above ground level. The airplane performed steep turns to reverse direction but made no unusual maneuvers and did not appear in distress. They did not witness the accident.
Previous Passenger's Account: The father of the previous passenger noted the flight was unremarkable and no aerobatics were performed. His son recalled that the pilot reduced engine power to idle and let the airplane glide for a while.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on October 9, 2012, at which time he reported 700 total flight hours. Logbook excerpts showed he flew 3 hours in the 90 days and 2 hours in the 30 days preceding the accident, all in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat tandem, bi-wing, tailwheel airplane, serial number 7115-J521, was assembled in 1978 and issued an experimental airworthiness certificate. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320, 150-horsepower engine with a two-blade, fixed-pitch McCauley propeller. The pilot purchased the airplane with a partner in 1988. The most recent annual condition inspection was completed on March 15, 2014, at 682.97 total hours; the engine had 1404.08 hours since major overhaul. The tachometer indicated 8.25 hours from inspection to accident. Two overhauled magnetos were installed on February 11, 2013, but the investigation could not determine where they were overhauled.
The mechanic reported that in January 2014, the left exhaust manifold was repaired due to cracking; ball-joints were installed, and the carburetor heat shroud was reduced by about half-size.
Meteorological Information
Weather recorded at Pensacola International Airport (PNS), about 13 miles east, at 1053: wind from 110° at 6 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, temperature 28°C, dew point 22°C, altimeter 30.06 inHg. An FAA Carburetor Icing chart indicated conditions conducive to serious icing at glide power settings.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The investigative team could not safely access the wreckage at the site; it was examined at a salvage facility after recovery. Tree damage was consistent with a level attitude on a westbound heading. A strong fuel smell was noted. The rudder remained attached; the stabilator had separated. Continuity was confirmed from flight controls to the rear cockpit. The fuel tank was compromised, and the sump contained water (the wreckage had been submerged in about 2 feet of water). The cockpit was intact; the mixture and throttle were full forward, fuel valve on, carburetor heat on (rear position), magnetos on both, primer in and locked, fuel boost pump off. The elevator trim indicator showed full nose-up, but preimpact position could not be determined. An ELT was not recovered.
Engine examination: spark plugs intact; No. 1 top plug lead-fouled; No. 4 bottom plug had sediment. Carburetor float and needle intact; fuel screen debris-free; throttle valve full open and movable. One propeller blade was bent aft, the other had a slight s-bend. Oil filter was debris-free. Engine continuity and compression were confirmed. The right magneto produced spark when rotated; the left magneto did not. Metallurgical examination of the left magneto revealed points that did not make electrical contact, with heavy deposits and erosion consistent with extended age and operation, and not consistent with a recently overhauled magneto.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on July 25, 2014, listed the pilot's cause of death as blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing was negative for drugs and alcohol.