History of Flight
On November 10, 2016, about 0915 eastern standard time, a North American Navion, N8849H, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during engine startup at Blairstown Airport (1N7), Blairstown, New Jersey. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the planned personal flight to Capital City Airport (CXY), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
According to a mechanic who witnessed the accident, the pilot last flew the accident airplane in December 2015; it was damaged during a gear-up landing at 1N7. The airplane remained at the airport while the mechanic repaired the damage. The repairs were completed, and another pilot had planned to ferry the airplane to CXY for an annual inspection the day before the accident, but the flight was postponed due to poor weather. The other pilot was not available on the day of the accident, and the owner elected to fly the airplane to CXY himself.
On the morning of the accident, the mechanic taxied the airplane from the hangar to the fuel pump. During the taxi, he performed an engine run-up and did not notice any anomalies. After fueling the airplane and completing a preflight inspection, the pilot started the engine and it went immediately to full power. The engine remained at full power and the airplane taxied about 1,000 ft at high speed into a tree.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The pilot, age 73, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on January 30, 2016, at which time he reported a total flight experience of 1,445 hours. The most recent logbook entry was dated February 1, 2016, showing about 1,478 hours total flight time. The pilot reported 422 hours in the accident airplane make and model on his most recent insurance application.
The four-seat, low-wing, retractable tricycle-gear airplane was manufactured in 1947. It was powered by a Continental IO-520, 285-horsepower engine, equipped with a constant-speed Hartzell propeller. The pilot purchased the airplane in 2009. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on August 21, 2015, at which time the airframe had accumulated about 2,052 total hours and the engine about 417 hours since major overhaul. The airplane had been operated for about 14 hours between the last inspection and the accident.
Meteorological Information
Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport (MPO), Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, located about 15 miles northwest of the accident site, recorded weather at 0853: wind from 310° at 10 knots; visibility 10 miles; few clouds at 1,200 ft; temperature 3°C; dew point -1°C; altimeter 30.02 inches Hg.
Wreckage and Impact Examination
Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The inspector noted that the throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were all in the full-forward position. The engine had separated forward of the airframe during the collision with the tree.
The wreckage was examined again by an NTSB investigator after recovery. The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft and all three blades exhibited rotational signatures. The throttle body/fuel metering unit was separated from the engine and remained attached to the induction system inlet and wye plenum, which were also separated. The throttle and mixture control levers were fractured and their respective shafts were bent. The fractured control lever ends remained attached to the control cable rod ends. Examination of the throttle body/fuel metering unit revealed that the throttle lever was loose on the throttle control shaft; however, it was displaced and bent. No preaccident anomalies were noted with the unit.
The airplane was equipped with push-button Vernier throttle, mixture, and propeller controls. The propeller control knob was fractured and its cable was cut. Examination of the throttle control knob in the cockpit revealed that it was stuck in the full forward position and could not be pulled aft by depressing the push-button release. Examination of the mixture control revealed that it was also in the full forward position. Manual manipulation of the mixture control (both the push-button rapid adjustment mode and the rotational fine adjustment mode) resulted in normal movement with no anomalies noted.
Computed Tomography (CT) scanning of the throttle and mixture controls revealed that the outer sleeve within the throttle control did not appear to be fully seated within the knob, consistent with the throttle cable being pulled forward during engine separation in the accident sequence.
The throttle and mixture control arms appeared to have been manufactured from bronze. According to the engine manufacturer, both lever arms should have been replaced with stainless steel arms per Continental Motors Category 2 Critical Service Bulletin (CSB) CSB08-3C, dated March 14, 2008. The CSB was issued after reports that bronze mixture and throttle control arms were inadequately torqued and became loose, which could lead to a loss of engine control or engine power.
Medical and Toxicological Findings
The Morris County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on the pilot, noting the cause of death as "multiple injuries."
Toxicological testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory revealed: 5.172 (ug/ml, ug/g) Ketamine in urine; 2.634 (ug/ml, ug/g) Ketamine in blood (cavity); 1.834 (ug/mL, ug/g) Norketamine in urine; 0.736 (ug/mL, ug/g) Norketamine in blood (cavity); Midazolam in blood (cavity); Naproxen in urine. Ketamine, norketamine, and midazolam were consistent with emergency medical treatment after the accident. Naproxen is a non-sedating analgesic and not considered impairing. According to an ambulance report, the pilot was awake and alert after the accident.