History of Flight
On July 9, 2016, at approximately 0915 central daylight time, an Evolution Trikes Revo weight-shift aircraft, registration N9912S, impacted terrain at Cushing Field Ltd Airport (0C8) in Newark, Illinois. The student-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
A witness positioned in another aircraft in the traffic pattern observed the accident. The witness reported that the accident aircraft landed on runway 36. Initially, the aircraft appeared to track straight down the runway, then began to oscillate left and right. The oscillations increased until the aircraft rolled over. The pilot was transported to a local hospital and was initially listed in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries.
The responding FAA inspector reported that the aircraft came to rest on its side. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. Examination of the aircraft did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a student pilot certificate and was operating under sport pilot medical rules. A review of the pilot's logbook indicated he had accumulated 16.75 total flight hours, with 1.75 hours solo in the accident aircraft. The logbook recorded three solo flights prior to the accident flight.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was an Evolution Trikes Revo, a strut-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controlled, two-seat-in-tandem tricycle landing gear aircraft with a single pusher-configuration engine. It was powered by a reciprocating Rotax four-cylinder 912ULS engine with a fixed-pitch propeller. Maintenance records showed the last condition inspection was completed on February 8, 2016, at an aircraft total time of 93.5 hours. FAA records indicate the aircraft received its Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Special Light Sport – Weight Shift Control Aircraft category on February 7, 2011. The student pilot purchased the aircraft in March 2016; however, at the time of the accident, the aircraft registration had not been updated in the FAA's database.
Meteorological Information
At 0915, the automated weather observation facility at Morris Municipal Airport – James R. Washburn Field (C09), about 10 miles southeast of the accident site, recorded calm wind, 10 miles visibility, broken clouds at 1,900 feet, temperature 71°F, dew point 62°F, and barometric pressure 30.02 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage came to rest on its right side on the grass runway. Substantial damage was noted to the aircraft's fiberglass fuselage/fairing. Several tubing members for the wing were bent or broken during the impact with the ground. The fabric wing was also torn.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Office of the Coroner, DuPage County, Illinois, conducted an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was determined to be "cervical spinal injuries." Toxicological testing performed by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. The test was positive for fentanyl in lung and blood. Fentanyl is an opioid medication used as part of anesthesia to help prevent pain after surgery or other medical procedures. A review of medical records revealed that the fentanyl was administered during medical treatment after the accident.