Accident Details
On December 12, 2015, at approximately 1440 eastern standard time, an experimental, amateur-built RANS S-12 Airaile airplane, registration N6202N, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground shortly after takeoff from Chilhowee Gilderport (92A) in Benton, Tennessee. The sport pilot, who was the sole occupant and operator of the aircraft, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the intended flight to a private airstrip in Athens, Tennessee.
Witness Accounts
Multiple witnesses provided accounts of the accident sequence. The airplane was the third in a group of three to depart from runway 21. After takeoff, the airplane executed a rapid or steep climb, at the apex of which it began a left turn. One witness described the airplane then entering a "steep wingover-like 180° turn reversing to the north." The airplane was then observed in a low energy state at about 150 feet above ground level (agl), descending at a high rate. The left wing then lowered in what the witness characterized as a half- to three-quarter-turn spin, impacting the ground with the left wing and nose.
Another witness reported that the airplane "appeared to stall, hovered for a split second and twisted in a nose dive into [a] sod field." A third witness noted the airplane was in a left bank of approximately 70° to 80°, then descended rapidly, "nosed over," and impacted the ground in a near-vertical attitude. A fourth witness, who was indoors, heard the crash and noted that the engine sound was loud and even up to the moment of impact.
Wreckage and Site Information
The accident site was located in an open grass field about 360 feet southeast of runway 21. According to a local law enforcement incident report, the airplane came to rest inverted and was subsequently righted by first responders. An FAA inspector's examination did not reveal evidence of any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Photographs showed crush damage to the forward fuselage and leading edges of both wings. All major flight control surfaces remained attached. The engine remained attached to the airframe, and the propeller hub was attached to the engine. Two of the wooden propeller blades were fragmented near the hub, and one blade fragmented near the tip.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
According to FAA airman records, the pilot held a sport pilot certificate and a light sport aircraft repairman certificate limited to another aircraft (N4288S). The pilot did not hold a medical certificate, nor was one required for this flight. The pilot's logbook was not located.
The two-seat, single-engine airplane was manufactured in 1992 and powered by a 100-horsepower Bombardier Rotax 912 engine. Airframe and engine logbooks were not located. According to the kit manufacturer's specifications, the aerodynamic stall speed with flaps retracted was 42 mph and with flaps extended was 35 mph. The flap setting at the time of the accident was not determined.
Weather and Medical Information
A witness at the airport reported wind from the south at 8 to 10 miles per hour. The nearest weather reporting station, McMinn County Airport (MMI) about 10 nautical miles north, reported wind from 230° at 7 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 5,000 feet agl, temperature 21°C, and dew point 13°C.
An autopsy performed by the Center for Forensic Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, listed the cause of death as "multiple blunt force injuries." The autopsy also revealed significant coronary artery disease with 70-80% stenosis of the left anterior descending artery and 50-60% stenosis of the right coronary artery. Toxicology testing by the FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory identified clozapine (an antipsychotic medication) and propranolol (a non-impairing medication often used for hypertension) in the pilot's samples.