History of Flight
On August 14, 2015, about 1050 mountain daylight time, a North American T-28A airplane, registration N14124, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Las Cruces International Airport (LRU), Las Cruces, New Mexico. The pilot was fatally injured and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed LRU about 1040, destined for El Paso International Airport (ELP), El Paso, Texas.
After refueling at LRU, the pilot experienced difficulty starting the radial engine and requested a ground power unit (GPU) from line personnel. The engine started on two occasions with the GPU connected but stopped after disconnection. On a third start with the GPU, the engine continued to run, and the pilot taxied out and departed from runway 8.
The passenger stated that about 5 minutes after departure, the engine lost power, and the pilot initiated a turn back to LRU. The pilot subsequently executed a forced landing onto uneven terrain, touching down about one-half mile before the threshold of runway 30, which damaged both wings and the fuselage. The pilot was airlifted to a regional hospital but died on August 18, 2015.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 64, held an airline transport pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument ratings. He reported 6,185 total flight hours and 60 hours in the preceding six months on his application for a medical certificate dated February 26, 2015. On an insurance application dated October 8, 2014, the pilot reported 322 flight hours in the T-28A. His last biennial flight review was completed on January 31, 2014. Pilot logbooks were not available for the investigation.
The pilot had a medical history of hypertension, high cholesterol, and coronary artery disease, with a myocardial infarction in 2000. Since 2000, he had been issued special issuance medical certificates with regular stress testing and cardiology evaluations required by the FAA. He was issued a special issuance first-class medical certificate limited by corrective lenses and marked "Not valid for any class after August 31, 2015."
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1951 by North American as model T-28A, serial number 51-3693. It was powered by a Wright R1820-F56 9-cylinder radial engine rated at 1,200 horsepower and equipped with a Hamilton Standard 3-bladed constant speed propeller. The engine was installed on January 17, 1998, at a total airframe time of 5,507 hours. The last recorded annual inspection was on July 1, 2015, at a total airframe time of 5,772 hours.
Meteorological Information
At 1055, the weather observation station at LRU reported wind from 080 degrees at 3 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 30°C, dew point 12°C, and altimeter setting 30.26 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane touched down on uneven terrain and came to rest upright with no post-impact fire. The flaps and gear were in the up position. All three propeller blades had minimal bending, twisting, and abrasions.
The engine and airframe were examined at a recovery facility. The engine oil screen and forward engine oil sump were significantly contaminated with metallic debris, both ferrous and non-ferrous. The carburetor fuel inlet screen contained no contaminants, residue, or corrosion. The oil reservoir was nearly empty, with oil residue in the vicinity of the nose case. The oil shutoff valve was in the open position. No anomalies were noted with the spark plugs.
The No. 9 cylinder was removed to assess engine damage; it was pried off due to damage to the cylinder skirt and piston. Inside the engine, metal fragments had damaged other cylinder skirts, connecting rods, and piston bottoms. The No. 6 cylinder connecting rod was fractured in half, with a section of the rod located in the metal fragments.
All flight control cables from the cockpit (pitch, roll, and yaw) remained attached to their respective controls. The flight control surfaces remained attached. No anomalies were noted with the flight control system.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on August 19, 2015, determined the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology tests identified trace amounts of diphenhydramine, as well as lidocaine and lorazepam. Hospital records indicated administration of lidocaine and lorazepam during medical treatment.
Survival Aspects
During the forced landing, the pilot sustained serious head injuries when impacting the instrument panel. The airplane's restraint system did not have an inertial reel; it utilized a manual lever to lock the shoulder harness. No anomalies were noted with the restraint system.