History of Flight
On September 8, 2014, about 1516 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Backovich GP-5 airplane, registration N501GP, was destroyed when it impacted terrain following an in-flight breakup while conducting a practice race at Reno-Stead Airport (RTS), Reno, Nevada. The airplane was registered to Lancair Northwest LLC, Portland, Oregon, and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from RTS about five minutes prior to the accident.
Photographic and video evidence from spectators showed the airplane established in a left bank when a portion of the outboard right wing separated. The airplane began rolling to the right and descended to the ground. The empennage fragmented and separated during the descent. Earlier that day, the pilot had made a mayday call and landed due to a vibration, which he attributed to reaching the engine rev limiter.
Aircraft Information
The Backovich GP-5 was an experimental, amateur-built, single-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear, tailwheel airplane, serial number 001, completed in 2002. It was powered by a Chevrolet V8 engine rated at 625 horsepower and equipped with a three-bladed adjustable pitch propeller. The aircraft was 24 feet 2 inches long with a wingspan of 22 feet 2 inches. Its primary structure was wood with a fiberglass overwrap. No design drawings or engineering documents existed. The airplane received a special airworthiness certificate on December 30, 2002, as N153GB. The accident pilot raced it in the 2010 National Championship Air Races (NCAR) and purchased it for Lancair Northwest LLC on October 6, 2010. The registration changed to N501GP on November 12, 2011. A new special airworthiness certificate was issued on July 10, 2012, with experimental operating limitations. The airplane placed fourth in the 2012 NCAR and was not entered in 2011 or 2013.
Logbooks documented ongoing maintenance. The airframe had 41.5 hours time in service (TIS) by September 15, 2010. After the sale, on January 26, 2012, a new electrical system, engine mount, engine, and avionics were installed at 42.5 hours TIS. Subsequent entries included repairs to wing skin cracks and elevator bellcrank bulkhead. On September 2, 2014, cracks in the right wing lower skin were repaired, and a bolt on the right aileron bellcrank was tightened. The last entry was on September 3, 2014, for tail wheel work. Engine and propeller logbooks showed inconsistencies in recorded times.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination by the NTSB revealed debris scattered between race pylons 5 and 6 of the outer race course, within a 4,000-foot long debris path. Three distinct debris fields were identified. The first contained the outboard right wing portion, aileron bellcrank, and wing fragments. The second contained horizontal and vertical stabilizers, elevators, rudder, and canopy pieces. The third field held the impact crater and heavily fragmented remains of the airplane, engine, and propeller. No post-crash fire occurred. The g-meter showed pointers at just above zero, -4.5, and -4.0. The MFD and ECU were recovered and sent for analysis.
Reconstruction of the outboard right wing revealed a spliced section of forward spar upper spar cap with scarf joints. The upper spar cap had fractured at the inboard scarf joint through the wood grain. The lower spar cap consisted of two fingers with splices; inboard scarfs had fractured through adhesive, and fingers were fractured in bending overload. Excessive dried adhesive was present. The aileron bellcrank was attached to a section of forward spar aft web. The rear spar was recovered in pieces, with a section around the center aileron hinge missing. No evidence of dry rot was found.
Additional Information
On March 11, 2012, the airplane suffered a collapse of both main landing gear during landing at Hollister Municipal Airport after the pilot was unable to lock the right main gear. The right wing sustained significant damage and was sent to the designer for repair. In July 2013, the pilot reported abnormal pitch characteristics; inspection found the elevator quadrant bulkhead fractured. Cracks in both wing lower skins were repaired per FAA Advisory Circular 43.13-1B. The designer stated the wing was originally one-piece with no splices; he recalled repairing only the leading edge after the 2012 gear failure. No engineering data was generated for repairs.
The pilot made a mayday call during a practice flight on the morning of the accident due to vibration; examination of ECU data showed the rev limiter had engaged. The pilot told another pilot he thought the airplane was going to come apart from the shaking.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Washoe County Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on September 9, 2014, determining the cause of death as blunt force injuries. Toxicological tests by CAMI were negative for volatiles and drugs.