History of Flight
On March 11, 2017, about 1030 Pacific standard time, a Challenger II light-sport airplane, registration N2621T, landed on the runway safety area (RSA) near the approach end of runway 10 at Oakdale Municipal Airport (O27), Oakdale, California. The airplane subsequently impacted a vehicle. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot 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 local flight.
According to the airport caretaker, the pilot left his hangar door open, departed from runway 10, and entered the left traffic pattern. The caretaker heard the airplane on the downwind leg but did not see it on final approach or landing; he heard an explosion and responded to the accident site, where a postimpact fire had ensued. A second witness, outside her house, heard the airplane overhead and noted it sounded different, but did not witness the accident. A third witness, at his residence for over 50 years, heard the airplane performing several takeoffs and landings. During the last landing, he heard the wheels contact the ground, the engine advance to full power, then an explosion. He saw fire about 800 ft south of his location and stated the engine sounded normal during the flight.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane touched down left of the approach end of the runway in the RSA, leaving 200-ft-long tire tracks in dirt and gravel. The tracks veered left toward the visual approach slope indicator, then continued toward the taxiway into a grassy area in front of the pilot's hangar. The tracks, with the right larger than the left, continued 20 ft into low vegetation and another 30 ft, ending near the pilot's truck. The airplane came to rest along the truck's left side. Both the airplane and truck sustained impact and fire damage.
The wings and cabin area were substantially damaged by postimpact fire. The left wing separated and was mostly consumed; only the inboard trailing edge structural tubing and inboard section of the flaperon remained. The right wing remained attached and exhibited thermal damage. The empennage remained intact, and flight control continuity was established through an elevator control tube and rudder control cables that were separated near the cabin area. The fuel tank had separated and was partially consumed. The engine was loose from its mount, with excessive thermal damage to the cylinder head and accessories. The propeller drive belt exhibited thermal damage; two propeller blades were found about a hundred ft from the main wreckage, and propeller strike damage was found near the engine mount. The engine and components revealed no mechanical anomalies. Seat belt hardware was found with the buckles unfastened.
Personnel Information
The 78-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot and flight instructor certificate with airplane single-engine land ratings. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on June 29, 2013, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. The certificate was expired but was not required for the accident airplane. On the medical certificate application, he reported 1,800 hours of flight time, with 8 hours in the last 6 months. His last logbook entry, on November 30, 2016, showed 1,977.2 total hours. He had his checkout flight in the accident airplane on September 28, 2016, and three more flights the following November, totaling 6 hours.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, high-wing, tricycle-gear airplane, serial number CH2-0199-CW-1838, was manufactured in 1999. It was powered by a 50-horsepower Rotax 582 Model 99 engine and equipped with a three-bladed fixed-pitch propeller.
Meteorological Information
At 0953, the Modesto Municipal Airport, located 11 miles southwest of the accident site, reported wind from 90° at 4 knots, visibility hazy, clear sky, temperature 17°C, dew point 14°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.16 inches of mercury.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office conducted an autopsy. The pilot's cause of death was reported as "flash-fire burn with acute soot and smoke inhalation." The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory performed toxicology tests, which were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and volatiles. The testing detected 13.6 ug/ml of acetaminophen (Tylenol) in urine, a nonimpairing pain reliever.