History of Flight
On August 14, 2014, about 1125 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150M, registration N66241, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during the initial climb after takeoff from Mount Pleasant Regional Airport-Faison Field (LRO), Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The commercial pilot and student pilot were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Hanger Aviation, Inc., and operated by a private individual. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The airplane was operated by the student pilot's father, who in July 2014 employed Coastal Aviation, Inc., a flight school at LRO, to provide flight instruction to his son. The owner of the flight school assigned the commercial pilot, recently hired as a flight instructor, to instruct the student. According to the student pilot's father, his son was attending college near LRO, and the commercial pilot helped reposition the airplane to LRO for convenience in the weeks preceding the accident.
The commercial pilot and student pilot had completed approximately two 1-hour instructional flights together. On the accident day, a witness observed the pilots inspect fuel for contaminants and check flight controls during preflight. Another witness reported the airplane began its takeoff roll on runway 35, a 3,700-foot-long asphalt runway, with flaps fully extended. Several people reported the airplane lifted off about midfield and immediately appeared unstable, with wings banking right and left. At about 100 feet above ground level, it entered a steep left turn. Two pilots reported the airplane lost forward momentum and appeared to stall, then entered a nose-down attitude followed by a right-wing-low attitude, impacting the ground in a "straight downward dive." A witness at the accident site reported a strong odor of fuel. No interruptions in engine power were reported.
Personnel Information
The commercial pilot, age 33, held an FAA commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He did not hold a flight instructor certificate but had a logbook endorsement to take the practical test for his single-engine flight instructor certificate. His most recent first-class medical was issued May 25, 2011, at which time he reported 275 total flight hours. His last logbook entry, dated June 9, 2014, showed about 350 hours. A review of logbook entries from August 2007 to June 2014 indicated he had not accumulated any time in the accident airplane make and model.
The student pilot, age 22, was seated in the left seat and did not possess a medical certificate or student pilot certificate. His logbook was not recovered. According to his father, he had some passenger experience but no formal training.
The owner of Coastal Aviation stated the commercial pilot indicated he was a certified flight instructor seeking employment and was hired in July 2014, beginning instruction in early August 2014. A flight schedule cross-referenced with logbooks showed the commercial pilot had provided about 8.5 hours of flight instruction in the 30 days preceding the accident. The owner stated the airplane was used solely as a training airplane for the student pilot, and the two pilots were the only ones who flew it between repositioning and the accident flight. The owner said the commercial pilot appeared alert on the accident morning.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, high-wing, fixed tricycle-gear airplane was manufactured in 1974 and powered by a Continental Motors O-200-A84, 100-horsepower engine. Its most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on January 13, 2014, at about 3,507 total hours; the engine had about 1,690 hours since major overhaul. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accumulated an additional 16 hours since the inspection.
The wing flap system was electrically operated. The flap position was controlled by a switch and indicated by a pointer. During deployment, the switch is held in the DOWN position until the desired extension; when released, the lever returns to center automatically via a spring. For retraction, the switch is placed in the UP position, designed to remain there without manual intervention. Limit switches stop the motor at full extension or retraction. Deployment takes about 9 seconds; retraction about 6 seconds.
The flight school owner stated the commercial pilot reported no flap issues before the accident flight. The student pilot's father reported no issues during the repositioning flight. The airplane was serviced with 10 gallons of 100LL fuel the day before the accident.
Meteorological Information
Recorded weather at LRO at 1115: calm wind, visibility 8 statute miles, sky clear, temperature 27°C, dew point 19°C, barometric altimeter 30.04 inches of mercury. Density altitude was calculated as about 1,559 feet.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest in a near-vertical, nose-down position on a 310-degree magnetic heading in a field about 1,100 feet beyond the departure end of runway 35. All major components were accounted for. Except for a few pieces of Plexiglas forward of the airplane, no debris path was observed.
The propeller blades and hub remained attached; the flange had multiple axial cracks. One blade was bent aft at the inboard end; both blades had chordwise scratches and polishing on cambered sides.
Both wings remained attached, with leading edge crush damage along their entire length. Both ailerons were neutral; each wing flap showed upward bending. The flap actuator jackscrew displayed no threads, consistent with flaps retracted; the flap switch was in neutral. The flap motor was tested and operated normally in both directions. Wing fuel tanks were deformed but not breached, containing an estimated 15 gallons total.
The aft fuselage and empennage were buckled and canted right; the elevator and rudder sustained no damage. The elevator pitch trim jackscrew corresponded to neutral. Control continuity for elevator, rudder, and ailerons was traced from surfaces to cockpit.
The fuel selector valve was in the OPEN position; no obstructions were found when compressed air was circulated. The fuel bowl was intact and the strainer screen was clean.
One primary ignition lead was severed from the right magneto; another separated from the No. 1 cylinder top spark plug. Both magnetos produced spark on all four posts and impulse coupling engagements were heard. Top spark plugs were removed; bottom plugs examined with a borescope. All spark plugs were gray and appeared normal.
The carburetor was impact-damaged; the mixture control cable was separated near the control arm. Both floats and needle valve operated normally. The fuel inlet line and screen were free of debris.
Manual rotation of the crankshaft confirmed powertrain continuity. Cylinders showed normal operating signatures; valves appeared seated properly via borescope.
The wing flap switch lever moved freely in UP or DOWN positions when manipulated by hand, but it did not automatically return from DOWN to neutral as designed. Laboratory examination revealed the center position return spring was fractured, preventing automatic return to OFF. Electrical continuity was confirmed at all three switch positions.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the commercial pilot listed cause of death as "blunt head trauma." Forensic toxicology detected 10.76 ug/ml of tramadol in heart blood, 11.571 ug/ml in vitreous, 13.794 ug/g in muscle, 18.424 ug/g in brain, 38.93 ug/g in liver, and 0.593 ug/ml in urine (therapeutic range 0.05-0.50 ug/ml). The active metabolite was detected in blood and urine. Additionally, norcyclobenzaprine was detected in heart blood and urine; hydrocodone and its metabolites were found in urine but not blood. Tramadol is a schedule IV controlled substance and opioid; hydrocodone is a narcotic analgesic; norcyclobenzaprine is a metabolite of cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxant. All three medications carry warnings about impairment of mental and/or physical ability for hazardous tasks.
The pilot's medical records showed multiple visits in 2010 for symptomatic kidney stones. In May 2010, he was evaluated for two gastrointestinal problems and placed on tramadol and prednisone. A May 19, 2011 entry noted his Crohn's disease was in remission.