History of Flight
On September 27, 2014, at about 1600 central daylight time, an amateur-built Butcher RV9A airplane, N809RD, sustained substantial damage when it impacted trees during an apparent landing approach to runway 29 at the Lake Water Wheel Airport (XS99), near Shepherd, Texas. The pilot was fatally injured and the passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated about 1500.
The passenger reported that he and the pilot departed XS99 about 1500 so that the pilot could direct work at the CAVOK airpark project near Cleveland, Texas. They intended to return by 1600 due to the passenger's evening commitment in Houston. When nearly back to XS99, the pilot flew over a body of water that he pointed out, but it was not the one adjacent to the runway. They then completed a flyover of the runway, banked right, climbed steeply, and made a U-turn. The passenger recalled nothing further about the flight or crash.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 44, held a private pilot certificate with airplane multiengine land, airplane single-engine land, and rotorcraft-helicopter certificates. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued on August 14, 2011, with no limitations. According to 14 CFR 61.23d, the medical certificate was not valid for any operations after August 31, 2013. The pilot's logbook was unavailable, but he reported 720 hours total flight experience and 58 hours in the six months preceding his medical examination.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was an amateur-built experimental aircraft constructed from a kit. It was a single-engine, low-wing monoplane with side-by-side seating and tricycle landing gear, primarily made of aluminum alloy. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-E2B engine rated at 150 horsepower. The kit manufacturer listed specifications: wing span 28 feet, length 20 feet 5 inches, empty weight 1,028–1,075 pounds, gross weight 1,600–1,750 pounds, and cruise speed 165 mph (143 knots).
Meteorological Information
Weather at Cleveland Municipal Airport (6R3), about 8 miles southwest, at 1055 recorded wind from 90 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken clouds at 1,700 feet, scattered clouds at 4,600 feet, broken clouds at 11,000 feet, temperature 28°C, dew point 20°C, and altimeter 29.97 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
Lake Water Wheel Airport was a private airport with a 2,600-foot by 100-foot turf runway (11/29). It was part of a property owners association with hangar homes. The accident pilot owned a home adjacent to the runway and based the airplane at XS99. No fuel services were available.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted a wooded area short of the approach end of runway 29. The trees were about 75 feet tall and located about 300 feet from the runway end. Damage was consistent with an inverted attitude at impact. The right wing had a semicircular indentation from the leading edge aft past the main spar, consistent with tree impact. The indentation went vertically through structure, consistent with a level but inverted attitude. Wings separated from the fuselage; the fuselage came to rest mostly intact with crushing damage, having traveled through gaps in larger trees. No fuel spill was evident, and no fuel was found in the airplane; both fuel tanks had ruptured. No fuel blight was observed on vegetation days later. Control system continuity was verified except for impact-related separations. Engine examination was limited due to position, but no evidence of catastrophic failure was found. Postaccident examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on September 28, 2014, attributed the pilot's death to injuries from the accident. Toxicology testing by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute was negative for all substances in the screening profile.
Additional Information
An attorney submitted airplane components believed to have avian blood evidence to the Smithsonian Institute for DNA testing. Testing failed to recover any avian DNA.