History of Flight
On December 2, 2017, at approximately 1237 central standard time, an experimental amateur-built Pegazair P100 airplane (N129LZ) crashed into a field near Mount Vernon, Indiana. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight, departing from Carmi Municipal Airport (CUL) in Carmi, Illinois, around 1150. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed.
A witness reported observing the airplane flying overhead at an altitude of about 400 to 500 feet above ground level on a westbound heading. The witness heard the engine cease operation, after which the airplane entered a descending right turn to the north. The engine then restarted, and the airplane continued northbound for approximately a quarter to half a mile before the engine stopped again. The airplane subsequently descended, pitched up, rolled to the right, and then pitched nose-down into the ground. A second witness described a similar flight path but stated that the engine was running at the time of impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. According to his most recent airman medical examination on March 21, 2012, he reported 2,500 total flight hours, with no flight time in the preceding six months. His third-class medical certificate expired on March 31, 2014. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicate the pilot did not possess an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate or a repairman certificate for the aircraft. He had no previous accidents, incidents, or enforcement actions on record.
The pilot's logbook showed first and last entries dated December 2, 1978, and June 29, 2014, respectively. A flight review endorsement was noted on May 12, 2012, from a flight instructor, but no subsequent flight reviews were documented. Under Title 14 CFR 61.56, pilots must complete a flight review every two years.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Gordon Pegazair P 100 model, manufactured in 2007, and powered by a Corvair 190 automotive engine. According to FAA records, the aircraft was originally registered to the builder; that registration expired on May 14, 2013. The pilot, who owned the airplane, had not reregistered it after purchase, and no subsequent registration application was filed.
A special airworthiness certificate had been issued on July 14, 2007, to the builder/previous owner. No current airworthiness certificate or application for an updated certificate was found in the aircraft records or FAA database.
The airframe logbook contained two final entries: a conditional inspection on April 2, 2012 (tachometer time 26.2 hours) and an annual inspection on July 15, 2013 (tachometer time 194.65 hours). Both were signed by an airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic with inspection authorization (IA). No further maintenance entries were recorded.
The engine logbook showed an annual inspection by the same A&P IA on July 15, 2013 (tachometer 194.65 hours). Ten subsequent entries, dated from July 15, 2013, to November 24, 2015, documented maintenance tasks including oil and filter changes, compression checks, spark plug replacements, ignition point replacements, and timing checks. The final entry listed tachometer time of 489.23 hours. However, these later entries were not signed by an A&P mechanic.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was in a flat dirt field approximately 17 nautical miles southeast of CUL. Power lines and adjacent trees were undamaged. The engine separated from the airframe and came to rest about 20 feet south of the main wreckage. A ground scar, consistent in shape and length with the wing's leading edge, was oriented north-south on each side of the separated engine. The fuselage was upright, with the tail approximately north-northwest. No fire or soot was present.
Flight control examination revealed wing flaps and leading edge slats in the retracted position. Continuity was confirmed from control surfaces to cockpit controls. Both left and right wing fuel tanks were empty, and fuel lines from the tanks to the fuel selector and from the selector to the engine were broken open. The fuel selector panel was damaged, and the selector was positioned between "LEFT" and "BOTH". Both fuel tanks exhibited outward expansion consistent with hydraulic forces. A strong fuel odor was present at the site.
The engine showed no evidence of mechanical failure. Engine control continuity to the cockpit was established through overstress separations; cockpit control positions could not be determined due to impact damage. Both propeller blades were broken at the roots, with features consistent with overstress. The aircraft's MGL Avionics EFIS display and SD memory card were sent for download, but no data were recovered due to extensive damage to the card.
Medical and Pathological Information
On his most recent medical certificate application, the 64-year-old pilot reported a history of a neurology evaluation in September 2011 for memory issues; no records of that evaluation were in FAA files. He denied other medical concerns or medication use.
Personal medical records documented a progressive neurodegenerative disease beginning in 2011, with symptoms including visual-spatial and language dysfunction, and diagnoses of alterations of consciousness and encephalopathy. In August 2015, he was prescribed donepezil, an Alzheimer's treatment. The most recent recorded episode of altered consciousness was in April 2016, with transient altered mental status, loss of balance, slurred speech, and weakness. No further neurologic evaluation records after April 2016 were located.
An autopsy conducted by the Posey County Coroner's Office determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries; no natural disease was identified.
Toxicology testing at the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected ethanol at 0.070 gm/dl in vitreous fluid and 0.038 gm/dl in blood. No carbon monoxide or tested-for drugs were found. Title 14 CFR 91.17(a) prohibits acting as a crewmember with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.040 gm/dl or greater.