History of Flight
On June 1, 2017, at 1157 eastern daylight time, a Varga 2150A airplane, registration N4635V, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Bowling Green, Ohio. The private pilot, who owned the airplane, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions. The flight originated from Tri-City Airport (3G6) in Sebring, Ohio, and was en route to Conklin Airport (OI92) in Bowling Green, Ohio. The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and was relocating it to a private airstrip near his home.
GPS data recovered from an onboard device indicated that the airplane departed 3G6 about 1034 and flew northwest toward OI92. The airplane maintained consistent groundspeeds and headings until 1156, when it entered a left-turning spiral descent. Witnesses observed the airplane flying erratically at low altitude before it impacted terrain. One witness stated that the airplane was flying very low, turned east, nearly inverted, then flew south and turned, ending in a nose-down attitude heading north. All witnesses reported that the engine was running before impact. The accident site was approximately 6 miles southeast of the destination airport.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1977. Airframe maintenance logs were annotated as "Logbook #2, 10/2/92." The engine log showed an engine overhaul dated June 11, 1992. The propeller log recorded an annual inspection dated June 23, 2014. The aircraft log documented 15 annual inspections between 1992 and 2017, with the last annual inspection occurring on May 5, 2017.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Wreckage and impact signatures were consistent with the fixed-tricycle gear, tandem-seat airplane impacting terrain in a left-wing-low attitude exceeding 70° nose-low. The impact point and debris field were contained within about 200 ft in diameter. All airplane and engine components were accounted for. The propeller was separated from the engine, with leading edge gouges and chordwise scratches on both blades. The fuel selector was in the "BOTH" position. The left wing and fuel tank were destroyed by impact forces. The right-wing fuel tank contained an undetermined amount of fuel and showed hydraulic deformation. Fuel was present in the fuel selector valve and the engine-driven fuel pump remnants. The flap selector and flaps were found in the extended (second notch) position.
An initial examination revealed no pre-impact anomalies with the airframe or engine. A subsequent examination on November 1, 2017, focused on the engine exhaust system, heat exchanger, and associated scat tubing. No nonimpact-related anomalies were identified in the exhaust system or scat tubing. The heat exchanger was impact-damaged. Its casing consisted of metals with different properties: about half was stainless steel-like, discolored but uncorroded; the remainder was discolored with varying corrosion. Small holes from corrosion were found in the casing, and cracks were present in areas affected by impact damage. It could not be determined if the cracks existed before impact. Maintenance logbooks contained no entries regarding heat exchanger repairs or replacement.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Lucas County Coroner's Office performed an autopsy, listing the cause of death as blunt force trauma. The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory conducted toxicology testing and identified 55% carbon monoxide (CO) in cavity blood. No other tested-for substances were found. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, colorless gas formed by hydrocarbon combustion. It binds to hemoglobin more strongly than oxygen, forming carboxyhemoglobin, which impairs oxygen transport. Nonsmokers may normally have up to 3% carboxyhemoglobin; heavy smokers may have 10–15%. Acutely, low CO levels may cause headache and nausea, while levels of 40% and above can lead to confusion, seizures, loss of consciousness, and death.
Additional Information
Title 14 CFR Part 43, Appendix D, specifies that during annual or 100-hour inspections, components of the engine and nacelle group, including exhaust stacks, must be inspected for cracks, defects, and improper attachment.