History of Flight
On September 16, 2015, about 0342 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built RV-10, registration N122WK, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain following an uncontrolled descent in Alma, Georgia. The pilot and four passengers were fatally injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane had departed Bacon County Airport (AMG) in Alma, Georgia, at an unknown time.
Local law enforcement initiated a search for the airplane at 0342 after a 911 call. The wreckage was located approximately 6 miles east of the departure airport about 1630 that afternoon.
A witness reported being awakened by a noise and looking out her kitchen window at 0322. She observed a bright, bluish-white light over a blueberry field and heard the sounds of a small plane. The engine noise increased and decreased as the airplane flew in an "M" pattern just above the tree line until it descended from view and the engine noise ceased.
Radar data from the FAA showed a VFR (1200 code) target maneuvering near the accident site between 03:29:52 and 03:31:59, at altitudes between 2,200 and 2,900 feet msl. The ground track was s-shaped, with a final climb from 2,400 to 2,900 feet in 7 seconds, then a descent to 2,500 feet 12 seconds later, indicating climb and descent rates exceeding 3,000 and 2,500 feet per minute, respectively.
Personnel Information
The pilot was the owner and builder of the accident airplane. He held a repairman experimental aircraft builder certificate issued December 19, 2010, and a third-class medical certificate issued January 19, 2011, on which he reported 25 total flight hours. A student pilot certificate was not issued concurrently with the medical due to an administrative oversight; any such certificate would have expired by the accident date. The pilot did not hold a pilot certificate, and no logbook was recovered, so total flight experience could not be determined. Medical and pharmaceutical records were not obtained despite requests to his family. His criminal record showed three DUI arrests: in 1997 (not reported on his FAA medical application), 12 weeks before the accident, and 6 weeks before the accident.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a four-seat, single-engine, low-wing, fixed-gear RV-10 manufactured from a kit in 2010 and equipped with a Lycoming IO-540 series 260-horsepower engine. The most recent condition inspection was completed March 10, 2015, at 338 total aircraft hours. Maximum allowable gross weight was 2,700 pounds.
Meteorological Information
At 0253, the weather at Bacon County Airport (AMG), 6 miles west of the accident site, included clear skies, wind from 060 degrees at 5 knots, temperature 73°F, dew point 19°F, and altimeter 30.21 inches of mercury. At the accident time, the moon was below the horizon with 10% illumination.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage came to rest on flat, wooded terrain at about 77 feet elevation. The wreckage path was approximately 200 feet long, oriented about 240 degrees magnetic. Initial impact was in trees about 50 feet above ground. The distance from the first tree strike to the impact crater was about 50 feet. Severed tree trunks showed angular cuts consistent with propeller contact. A 6-foot-long tree trunk section with clean, angular cuts was found 200 feet beyond the initial impact point; another nearby section had a propeller blade fragment embedded. The blade fragment exhibited an "S" bend and overstress fractures.
The engine, cockpit, cabin, and tail section were completely fragmented and largely contained in and around the impact crater. The main wing spar was fractured into multiple pieces. Control continuity could not be confirmed due to extensive damage. The instrument panel and cockpit controls could not be identified. An altimeter found in the crater displayed no usable data. The engine was severely damaged; accessories were separated from mounts. Both propeller blades showed twisting, bending, leading-edge gouging, and chordwise scratching. The crankshaft could not be rotated. Borescope examination revealed normal wear and lubrication; no preimpact mechanical anomalies were found.
Additional Information
Weight and balance were estimated based on unknown fuel state (full or half). Occupant weights were taken from driver's licenses. The airplane had five occupants in a four-seat configuration; the lightest passenger likely sat across the laps of two rear-seat passengers. With full fuel, the airplane was at or above maximum gross weight and near its aft CG limit. With half fuel or less, it was near maximum gross weight and beyond its aft CG limit. An unrestrained fifth passenger could move about the cabin, potentially causing significant CG changes.
Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91.303 defines aerobatic flight. FAA handbooks note that overloading adversely affects stability, and aft CG reduces controllability, especially at slow speeds. The FAA's Risk Management Handbook identifies hazardous attitudes and traits common in accident-prone pilots, including disdain for rules, correlation between flying and driving violations, thrill-seeking, impulsivity, and disregard for external information.
Medical and Pathological Information
The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory could not perform toxicological testing on the pilot with the samples obtained. An autopsy by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation listed the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries.