History of Flight
On August 29, 2017, at 1920 central daylight time, a Grumman AA-1B (N8866L) operated by the private pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 was substantially damaged after impacting trees and terrain while approaching Portland Municipal Airport (1M5) in Portland, Tennessee. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from 1M5 around 1831.
The pilot's grandson, a student pilot, had flown the same airplane two days prior. He reported fully fueling the aircraft that day and flying about 1.4 hours for training. The pilot did not purchase fuel before the accident flight, and no one else flew the airplane between the two flights.
Several witnesses observed the airplane flying low shortly before the accident. They noted that after contacting treetops, the aircraft impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude.
A Garmin 196 GPS recovered from the wreckage indicated that after departing 1M5, the airplane flew south, circled Gallatin, Tennessee, and returned to 1M5. The last recorded position was about 0.5 miles south of runway 1's threshold. The flight duration was 0.83 hour.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. He had a third-class FAA medical certificate issued September 23, 2015, with a limitation requiring glasses for near vision. At his last medical exam, he reported 450 total flight hours. His logbook was not recovered.
Aircraft Information
The Grumman AA-1B (N8866L) received its airworthiness certificate on October 20, 1976. The original engine, a 108-horsepower Lycoming O-235-C2C, had been replaced with a 150-horsepower Lycoming O-320-A2B engine driving a two-bladed Sensenich 74DM6-0-60 propeller. The pilot purchased the airplane on September 2, 2014.
Maintenance records showed the last annual inspection was completed on November 11, 2016, at which time the airframe had 1,744.5 total hours and the engine had 2,722.5 total hours (522.5 since overhaul). The tachometer at the accident recorded 1,786.4 hours. The airframe logbook indicated the engine upgrade, but the date of installation and updated pilot operating handbook were not found.
The owner's manual for the original configuration stated 22 gallons of useable fuel, with fuel consumption of 5.3 gallons per hour at cruise. The Lycoming Operations Manual for the O-320 series listed fuel consumption of 10 gallons per hour at 75% power and 8.8 gallons per hour at 65% power.
Meteorological Information
At 1953, the weather at Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport, 23 miles north, was calm wind, visibility 10 statute miles, and scattered clouds at 4,600 ft.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was about 2,500 ft from runway 1's threshold and 200 ft left of the runway centerline. The debris path was about 200 ft long from initial tree impact (60-ft-tall trees) to the main wreckage on a heading of 060° magnetic. A ground scar consistent with the engine and propeller was observed 85 ft from the initial strike. The airplane came to rest upright on its landing gear, heading 240° magnetic. Flight control continuity was established.
The right wing separated and rested beside the fuselage. The right fuel tank was crushed, missing its cap, and appeared breached but showed no fuel odor or vegetation browning. The left wing remained attached; its fuel tank was intact and empty. The fuel drain line and selector valve (set to left tank) had no fuel; less than one teaspoon of fuel was found in the electric boost pump filter. Mixture and throttle controls were full forward.
The fuselage and cockpit sustained substantial damage. The canopy was shattered except for the sliding rails. Seat belts were intact; the pilot's belts were connected, while the passenger's belts were not connected and showed no tears or stretch marks.
The engine remained attached. Examination revealed thumb compression on all cylinders, continuity from crankshaft to valvetrain, and no anomalies via borescope. The propeller flange was fractured; one blade was bent aft, and the spinner was crushed. No leading edge gouging or chordwise scratching was observed. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions were identified.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot conducted by the Office of the Medical Examiner in Nashville listed multiple blunt force injuries as the cause of death. Forensic toxicology detected Citalopram (an antidepressant), N-Desmethylcitalopram (a metabolite), Verapamil, and norverapamil in the pilot's system. Citalopram use requires a special issuance medical certificate due to potential cognitive impairments from depression, and the pilot did not report its use at his last FAA medical exam. Verapamil, a blood pressure medication, is not considered impairing.