History of Flight
On February 19, 2017, about 1600 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built airplane, N62888, was destroyed when it impacted terrain approximately 470 feet south of a private grass airstrip in Springfield, Ohio. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was privately owned and operated under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal local flight, and no flight plan was filed. The departure time from the airstrip is unknown.
Multiple witnesses observed the airplane flying low at treetop height heading east. Two witnesses reported that the airplane's nose pitched up, after which it descended to the ground. One witness stated the airplane "began to sway and lost control." Another witness described a "spiral turn" as it descended. A third witness heard "a loud motor revving," looked up, and saw the airplane in a nose dive; the engine sound continued until just before impact.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating issued on September 20, 2015, and an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate. His FAA third-class medical certificate was issued August 13, 2015, with no limitations. According to his logbook, the pilot had accumulated 281 total flight hours as of November 15, 2016, the last entry. Most of his flight time was in Cessna 150, 172, and 182 models, with the most recent 10 hours in a Piper Archer. No flight time was logged in the accident airplane.
The airplane's owner, the pilot's uncle, stated that the pilot had flown the accident airplane about 10 to 15 hours. The pilot began flying it while completing his private pilot certificate, initially performing "pop ups" about 5 feet above the ground along the runway, which the owner estimated occurred about 50 times. After receiving his certificate, the pilot would fly locally for 15 to 20 minutes, often accompanied by his uncle and father in motor gliders. The owner was uncertain when the pilot last flew the airplane before the accident. The owner reported sharing knowledge of the airplane's flight characteristics, including critical airspeeds, glide ratio, approach procedures, and roll limitations, and believed the pilot flew it "very well."
Aircraft Information
The airplane held an experimental airworthiness certificate issued October 4, 1976. It was a single-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear design powered by a Continental Motors A-65-9 reciprocating engine with a McCauley fixed-pitch, two-bladed propeller. The aircraft had no electrical system; the engine was started by hand-propping. No maintenance logbooks were available for the investigation. The owner reported completing a condition inspection on September 14, 2016.
On the day of the accident, the pilot contacted the owner about anomalies after starting the engine: no oil pressure indication and rough running. The owner guided the pilot in fixing the oil pressure indicator and cleaning the carburetor, and stated that both issues were resolved before the flight.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather observation station, at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport (SGH) 8 miles southeast, reported at 1556: wind from 260° at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 14°C, dew point 8°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.09 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage came to rest in a plowed field south of the airstrip. The nose and forward fuselage were crushed aft, and the leading edge of the right wing sustained impact damage from the wingtip to the main gear strut. The damage pattern was consistent with a nose-low and right wing-low attitude at impact.
Flight control continuity was confirmed for all surfaces to the cockpit. The aileron and elevator control stick operated normally, but the rudder pedals were crushed and immovable. Rudder cables were intact from the cockpit to the attachment point. The shoulder harness was found wrapped around the rudder cables in the tail section behind the forward bulkhead, with wear consistent with cable rubbing; it was not accessible from the cockpit. First responders reported that the lap belt was not buckled when they arrived.
The engine rotated freely and thumb compression was observed on all cylinders. The propeller hub had dirt embedded on spinner attachment bolts, and one blade was bent rearward about 20° with no rotational scoring or scratching.
Both fuel tanks were breached with no visible fuel remaining; the smell of auto gasoline was present at the site. Fuel was observed in the clear plastic fuel quantity indicator tube and in the gascolator, whose filter appeared clear of debris. The fuel shutoff valve was in the ON position. The throttle plate was in the full open position with no obstructions. An FAA inspector removed and examined the carburetor, finding the float and gasket intact and normal operation through full travel. The left magneto switch was ON; the right magneto switch was OFF. According to the owner, standard procedure was to use the left magneto for starting and both for flight.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Montgomery County Coroner's Office performed an autopsy and attributed the pilot's cause of death to multiple blunt force injuries. FAA toxicology testing on the pilot was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs.