History of Flight
On August 9, 2014, about 0555 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150C (N7968Z) was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering in Senoia, Georgia. The airplane was owned and operated by a private individual. The private pilot and a passenger were fatally injured. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Atlanta Regional Airport-Falcon Field (FFC), Peachtree City, Georgia, at 0548, destined for Eagle Neck Airport (1GA0), Shellman Bluff, Georgia. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The airplane was owned by the pilot and his wife, and was based at FFC. According to the pilot's wife, the pilot and the passenger (her brother) intended to fly to 1GA0 to attend a homeowner's association meeting scheduled for 0800.
A witness living about 3 miles from the airport reported observing a very low flying airplane about 0600, flying about 30 to 40 feet above the tree line. The engine noise sounded normal. The witness lost sight of the airplane and shortly thereafter heard a "thud." He described the weather as "humid and rather foggy."
The airplane was subsequently found in a wooded area about 3.5 miles southeast of FFC, adjacent to a gravel road.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 57, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land, issued on May 16, 2014. The pilot did not possess an instrument rating. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on July 31, 2014. He was employed as an FAA air traffic controller and also held a control tower operator certificate.
According to the pilot's logbook, at the time of the accident, he had accumulated about 230 hours of total flight experience, including about 190 hours in the accident airplane. In the 90 days prior to the accident, he had flown about 50 hours in the accident airplane; in the 30 days prior, about 20 hours.
Aircraft Information
The single-engine, fixed-gear airplane (serial number 15060068) was manufactured in 1963. It was powered by a Continental Motors O-200-A, 100-horsepower engine equipped with a McCauley two-blade propeller.
According to the engine and propeller logbooks, the most recent annual inspection was performed on October 9, 2013. At that time, the engine had been operated for about 915 hours since overhaul and about 3,000 total hours since new. The airframe logbook was not located.
A fuel receipt from FFC indicated that the airplane was refueled with 9.8 gallons of aviation gasoline on August 8, 2014.
Meteorological Information
A weather observation taken at FFC at 0553 reported: calm winds, 6 statute miles visibility with mist, overcast ceiling at 600 feet above ground level, temperature 21°C, dew point 21°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.05 in-Hg.
Review of infrared satellite imagery around the time of the accident depicted low clouds in and around the departure airport.
There was no record of the pilot obtaining an official weather briefing. The pilot's wife stated he checked weather conditions the night prior and the morning of the accident using his iPad.
A witness, who was an FAA air traffic controller and active commercial pilot, described the weather at the time as "not good," with visibility restricted due to patchy fog or mist and a ceiling of about 300 to 400 feet above ground level. He added that "the sky was very dark with no ambient light except for the parking lot lights."
Astronomical data from the United States Naval Observatory indicated that for the date of the accident, the beginning of civil twilight was 0627, with sunrise at 0654.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane's initial impact point was a berm on the side of a gravel road adjacent to east-west high tension power lines, at an elevation about 800 feet. The impact with the berm was consistent with the airplane in a level attitude. Debris was strewn for about 80 feet, on a heading about 240 degrees, and the airplane came to rest nose down, in trees facing opposite the debris path. All major components were accounted for.
The cockpit was crushed and the instrument panel fragmented. The left wing separated from the fuselage and showed leading edge compression damage approximately mid-span, crushed tapering toward the left wing tip. The right wing remained attached to the center wing section at the aft attachment bolt and was fractured into two pieces at approximately mid-span. The empennage separated but remained attached via control cables. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, left horizontal stabilizer and left elevator remained attached. The leading edge of the right horizontal stabilizer, an approximate 2-foot section of the outboard right horizontal stabilizer, and the right elevator and trim tab separated. The separated leading edge and outboard section exhibited semi-circular deformation consistent with tree impact. Control cable continuity was established for all flight control surfaces. The flap actuator handle was observed in the down (flaps retracted) position.
The engine remained partially attached to the airframe firewall via engine mounts and various lines. The propeller, both magnetos, starter, vacuum pump, and carburetor separated from the engine and exhibited impact damage. The propeller was located about 65 feet from initial impact and remained attached to the crankshaft flange, which separated from the crankshaft. The propeller blades displayed chord-wise scratches, leading edge gouges, and "S-bending." The crankshaft was rotated by hand; continuity to accessory gears and valve train was established. Thumb compression was attained and valve movement observed on all cylinders. Cylinders were inspected with a lighted borescope with no anomalies noted. One magneto produced spark from all towers; the second was impact fractured and could not be rotated completely. The carburetor was disassembled with no anomalies noted; its fuel bowl contained a small amount of fuel consistent with 100 low-lead aviation gasoline. The vacuum pump was disassembled and exhibited normal operating signatures; its drive gear was not located.
A handheld GPS receiver recovered from the cockpit was sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for data download.
Additional Information
GPS data associated with the accident flight began about 0540, with the airplane on the ramp at FFC. At 0548:24, the airplane was on the takeoff roll on runway 31. After takeoff, it made a left turn and climbed to a GPS-recorded altitude of 1,191 feet. The airplane turned southeast and continued on a southeasterly heading, with altitude varying between approximately 1,100 and 1,800 feet. Around 0553, the airplane began a right turn from 1,368 feet toward a westerly heading, back toward the departure airport. At 0554:26, at an altitude of 1,227 feet and a derived groundspeed of 99 knots, the airplane began a slight left descending turn toward the accident site. The data showed a maximum groundspeed of 123 knots. At 0554:40, the airplane was at 823 feet and 116 knots, about 3.25 nautical miles southeast of FFC. At 0554:51, the airplane descended to an altitude roughly matching the surrounding terrain. The last recorded data point was at 0555:12 in the immediate vicinity of the wreckage.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on the pilot by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation listed the cause of death as "generalized blunt force injuries."
Toxicological testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory identified ibuprofen, lidocaine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and salicylate in urine. None of these or other tested substances were identified in blood. Vitreous was negative for glucose; urine glucose was 135 mg/dl, and hemoglobin A1C was 7.4 percent.
According to the pilot's wife, the pilot was not known to be diabetic. Records from his treating orthopedist confirmed no diagnosis of diabetes. Pharmacy records did not include diabetes medications.
Review of medical records revealed the pilot received a spinal injection to treat ongoing low back pain radiating to his arms and legs on the day prior to the accident.