History of Flight
On July 13, 2017, about 1125 eastern daylight time, an Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA 300/L, registration N210MX, was destroyed after it impacted trees and terrain near Winchester, New Hampshire. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which originated about 1030 from Danielson Airport (LZD), Danielson, Connecticut, and was destined for Hartness State Airport (VSF), Springfield, Vermont.
According to the pilot's son, the pilot was flying to VSF to compete in an aerobatic competition that weekend. The pilot typically flew to the competition airport on a Thursday morning to practice in the aerobatic box that afternoon.
Radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the airplane flew on a northerly heading, then made two complete right turns, followed by a larger diameter sweeping right turn, and abrupt and rapid diversions from the en route altitude. During the last 3 minutes of data, the airplane climbed from 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl) (about 1,300 ft above ground level) to 6,425 ft msl, then began to descend. Radar contact was lost at 5,800 ft msl, about 35 miles from the destination.
A witness heard the airplane and observed it performing aerobatics in a very low cloud ceiling. Several minutes later, the airplane descended low enough that the witness and his son began waving. About 1125, the airplane went into a high vertical climb, climbed to an altitude barely audible, then descended. The witness watched it descend through the bottom of the clouds and continue straight down, hearing impact about 2 to 3 seconds later. Another witness reported hearing the engine sounding like it was racing with high RPMs.
Personnel Information
FAA records show the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He was issued a third-class FAA medical certificate on October 19, 2016, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. At that time, he reported 2,810 total hours of flight experience and 108 hours in the previous 6 months. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating.
Aircraft Information
According to FAA records, the two-place monoplane was manufactured in 2005 and registered to the pilot in 2006. It was equipped with a Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5 series, 300-horsepower engine driving a four-bladed, constant speed, MT-Propeller. An annual inspection was completed on April 18, 2017, at 956.57 total aircraft hours. A placard in the cockpit stated: "This airplane is certificated for VFR day operation."
Meteorological Information
At 1052, the recorded weather at Orange Municipal Airport (ORE), Orange, Massachusetts, about 11 miles south of the accident site, included wind from 040° at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, overcast clouds at 800 ft agl, temperature 19°C, dew point 18°C, and altimeter setting 30.00 inches of mercury. At 1056, the observation at Dillant-Hopkins Airport (EEN), Keene, New Hampshire, about 11 miles northeast, included wind from 010° at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, overcast ceiling at 1,200 ft agl, temperature 16°C, dew point 14°C, and altimeter setting 30.02 inches of mercury.
A NTSB Senior Meteorologist stated that the observations indicated instrument flight rules (IFR) to marginal visual flight rules (MVFR) ceiling conditions. With a northeast surface wind east of the Appalachian Mountains and a surface high pressure center, cold air damming conditions were likely, allowing continued IFR ceilings north of a warm front at the accident site. Satellite imagery showed abundant cloud cover, which increased dramatically along the airplane's northerly route. Infrared imagery indicated cloud tops over the accident site approximately 22,000 ft at 1115.
The pilot did not contact Leidos or Direct User Access Terminal Service for weather information, and an archive search of ForeFlight data revealed no weather information gathered before or during the accident flight.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination of the accident site revealed a strong odor of fuel. All major components were accounted for. The main wreckage came to rest oriented on a 025° heading in a heavily wooded area at 680 ft msl. Impact damage was observed on a 100-ft-tall tree consistent with the airplane impacting the tree before striking the ground about 25 ft beyond. Chips of white paint were lodged in the wood. The main wreckage came to rest about 15 ft beyond the initial impact crater, which was about 4 ft deep and 6 ft in diameter. Linear ground scars consistent with wing leading edges were visible on either side of the crater.
The cockpit was destroyed and fragmented. The instrument panel was destroyed; the attitude indicator was not located, and the turn coordinator face was destroyed. Flight control continuity was obtained from all surfaces to the cockpit through breaks and fractures consistent with overload. The right wing was impact-separated and fractured; left wing similarly separated. The empennage remained attached to the fuselage; the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached, while the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were impact-separated. The elevator trim tab was impact-separated but attached by cables.
All four wooden propeller blades were impact-separated and fragmented, with pieces found in and near the impact crater. The propeller hub remained attached to the crankshaft flange. The engine came to rest upright, facing opposite the direction of travel. Three of four engine mounts were impact-separated; impact fractures were noted on the crankcase. Cylinders exhibited impact damage; the crankshaft would not rotate but no fractures or thermal discoloration were noted. No anomalies were found with the camshaft or inside the crankcase.
The JPI EDM 700 engine monitor data indicated the engine was operating throughout the flight without anomaly.
Medical and Pathological Information
The State of New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy, which indicated the pilot died as a result of multiple blunt impact injuries. The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory performed toxicological testing. Fluid and tissue specimens tested negative for carbon monoxide. The test indicated 105 mg/dL of ethanol in the liver but none in the kidney, consistent with postmortem production. Testing identified 0.2965 ug/ml of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the lung and 0.366 ug/ml in the kidney. Additionally, 0.4511 ug/ml of 11-carboxytetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) was detected in the kidney and 0.0766 ug/ml THC-OOH in the lung. THC is the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana; THC-COOH is the primary non-active metabolite.