History of Flight
On August 5, 2014, about 1455 mountain daylight time, an experimental David Fitzgerald Zenith CH750, registration N32FZ, crashed in mountainous terrain in the wilderness area of Warren, Idaho. The sport pilot and passenger were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces. The personal cross-country flight departed Big Creek, Idaho, about 1440 with a planned destination of Dixie, Idaho. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot carried a personal SPOT GPS satellite tracker. When the pilot failed to check in with his family, they logged into the SPOT tracker system and determined the accident site location. The family contacted the Idaho County Sheriff's Department, initiating search and rescue. The FAA issued a family concerned Alert Notice on August 5, 2014, at 2326 MDT. The wreckage was located on August 6, 2014.
Personnel Information
The 57-year-old pilot held a sport pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land, issued December 7, 2012. He did not hold a medical certificate, nor was it required. His personal logbook showed a total flight time of 414 hours, with 119 hours in the last 90 days and 25 hours in the last 30 days. He had an estimated 377 hours in the accident make and model.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was an experimental amateur-built David Fitzgerald Zenith CH750, serial number 1001. The pilot's logbook indicated a total airframe time of 377 hours at the last flight. No aircraft maintenance records were located. The airplane received a special airworthiness certificate as an experimental amateur-built airplane on February 21, 2013.
Meteorological Information
The nearest weather reporting station was McCall Municipal Airport (MYL), McCall, Idaho, 37 nautical miles southwest of the accident site. At 1451 MDT, MYL reported wind 340 degrees at 9 knots, temperature 29 degrees C, dew point 2 degrees C, and altimeter 29.91 inches of mercury. Calculated density altitude was about 11,215 feet. Data from the Dynon Skyview multi-function display at 1454 MDT indicated wind 048 degrees at 8 knots, temperature 22 degrees C, and altimeter 30.00 inches; pressure altitude was 7,698 feet, and density altitude was 10,381 feet.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was in a remote area of the Payette National Forest, within a previous wildland fire area of 70-80 foot tall trees, most dead. The wreckage lay on a 20-25 degree south-facing slope within a 50-foot area. The airplane impacted in a steep nose-down attitude. The first identified point of contact was an uprooted tree with impact damage about 33 feet up from the base, lying within the main wreckage. The debris path was along a magnetic heading of 200 degrees; the fuselage orientation was 260 degrees. Elevation was 7,907 feet mean sea level.
The right wing separated and lay across the tail section. The left wing remained attached with leading edge impact damage. Flight control continuity could not be positively verified due to impact damage, but all noted control connections were intact and secured. A detailed cockpit examination was not performed due to impact damage. The site had a strong odor of aviation fuel; the fuel sump bowl was intact and contained fuel with no contamination. No mechanical anomalies were identified during the on-scene examination, which was limited due to weather and time constraints.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Idaho County Coroner completed an autopsy on August 11, 2014. Toxicological testing by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute showed no findings for carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, or tested drugs.
Tests and Research
Two cell phones and an iPad were recovered but yielded no relevant data. The Dynon Skyview multi-function display data indicated the engine was operating without issue up to the point of impact. The SPOT tracker, recovered undamaged, was configured to send location every 10 minutes when moving, defaulting to 60 minutes when stationary. Data showed the flight departed Sulphur Creek Ranch Airport (ID74) about 1100 MDT, landing at Upper Loon Creek (U72) from 1129 to 1149, Lower Loon Creek (C53) from 1209 to 1309, and Big Creek (U60) from 1419 to 1439. Big Creek is 5 nautical miles southeast of the accident site. The first track point at the accident site was received at 1600, with points continuing until 2230 when batteries depleted.
Dynon data during the last minutes showed the flight track was meandering, following terrain contours with many turns and route reversals, not direct. Altitude remained mostly constant while moving up the canyon. In the last minute, the airplane was in a gradual climb, airspeed decreasing from about 50 knots to a last recorded 35 knots. In the final seconds, pitch angle increased nose down, and the airplane rolled to a 90-degree angle.