History of Flight
On September 16, 2017, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20C, registration N53CP, was substantially damaged when it struck trees and terrain near North Branford, Connecticut. The airline transport pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated by the pilot as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed from Robertson Field Airport (4B8), Plainville, Connecticut, and was destined for Francis S. Gabreski Airport (FOK), Westhampton Beach, New York.
The pilot had departed FOK about 1000 the morning of the accident and flew to 4B8 to pick up his passenger for the return flight to FOK, where the passenger, a NASCAR driver, would be participating in a race at Riverhead Raceway that afternoon. The pilot and passenger were friends and had flown this route many times.
The line service attendant at 4B8 reported that the pilot requested the airplane's fuel tanks be topped off. The airplane was fueled with 15.8 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline—9 gallons in the right tank and 6.8 gallons in the left tank. After fueling, the attendant witnessed the pilot check the fuel through the fuselage fuel sump, then converse with several other pilots before departing with his passenger about 1230.
Review of radar data from the United States Air Force 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron revealed radar targets coincident with the accident flight. A target first appeared about 1242 about 10 miles south of 4B8 and about 1,200 ft mean sea level (msl). The track continued south-southeast for about 9 minutes, with altitudes between about 1,200 and 1,600 ft msl (about 900 to 1,300 feet above ground level) until radar contact was lost about 1 mile northwest of the accident site.
Personnel Information
According to FAA airman records, the pilot, age 81, held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land and commercial privileges for airplane single-engine land and sea. He also held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine and instrument airplane, a flight engineer certificate for turbojet-powered airplanes, and a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings. His most recent application for an FAA second-class medical certificate was dated October 16, 2006, on which he reported 31,300 total hours of flight experience.
Aircraft Information
The low-wing, four-seat monoplane was issued a standard airworthiness certificate on September 4, 1964. It was equipped with retractable landing gear and powered by an air-cooled Lycoming IO-360, 180-horsepower engine driving a Hartzell 3-bladed constant speed propeller. The airplane had two 26-gallon fuel tanks for a total capacity of 52 gallons. No maintenance records were located.
Meteorological Information
At 1653, weather at Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN), New Haven, Connecticut, 9 miles southwest of the accident site, included variable wind at 3 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, broken clouds at 1,400 ft above ground level, temperature 24°C, dew point 19°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.16 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination of the accident site showed the airplane's first point of impact was in 75-ft-tall pine trees in a nose-down attitude before coming to rest against trees on its right side. The wreckage path was 175 ft long and oriented on a heading of about 010° magnetic. An open field was about 1,500 ft north of the accident site. The right wing separated at the wing root during impact and was the first piece of wreckage discovered. Three feet of the outboard left wing was found 75 ft north of the right wing, wrapped around a tree. The fuselage, left wing, and tail assembly remained together at the main wreckage site against a tree. The landing gear was extended, and the landing gear selector was in the "DOWN" position. The wing flaps were retracted.
The primary flight instruments on the pilot's side remained intact. The magneto switch was found in the "BOTH" position. The airplane had no instruments with non-volatile memory.
The right wing fuel tank was breached, and evidence of fuel was found on trees and vegetation near the initial impact point. The left wing fuel tank contained about 7.5 gallons of fuel. The fuel selector was inaccessible due to cockpit crushing, but a visual examination through the firewall indicated it was in the left tank position.
The airframe and engine were removed for further examination. The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange; the spinner was partially crushed. Of the three blades, Blade A was bent aft about 30° about 6 inches outboard of the hub and could be rotated by hand. Blades B and C appeared straight and undamaged with no rotational scoring, s-bending, or chordwise scratching. The propeller governor was impact-damaged; the governor oil screen was clean.
Continuity of the crankshaft to the rear gears and valve train was confirmed, and each cylinder produced suction and compression. Borescope inspection of cylinders revealed no anomalies. The No. 1 cylinder was removed to inspect the crankcase; no anomalies were noted. Oil was present, and the pistons, valves, and crankshaft appeared lubricated.
Both left and right magnetos were undamaged and produced sparks at regular intervals when rotated. Spark plugs displayed little wear and no fouling. The vacuum pump was intact; the alternator was undamaged and rotated easily. The fuel injector servo was fractured across the throttle bore and separated from the oil sump. The throttle and mixture control cables remained attached but were impact-damaged; control positions could not be determined. The induction air box and filter were impact-damaged but showed no preimpact anomalies.
The fuel injector servo was partially disassembled; internal components were intact, and the fuel inlet screen was clean. The fuel flow divider was undamaged and unobstructed. The engine-driven fuel pump operated normally when actuated by hand.
Liquid with an odor consistent with aviation fuel was found in the engine-driven fuel pump, the hose from the pump to the servo, in the servo, and in the fuel selector. The fuel selector valve was removed and tested; air did not pass when the handle was in the "LEFT" position. Air passed freely when set to "RIGHT." Upon disassembly, a spongy mass of reddish fibers consistent with red cotton shop towel fibers was found in the selector cavity, approximately 5/8 inches long and 3/8 inches wide. Fibers also covered about 5% of the fuel drain screen.
A section of PVC pipe, resembling plumbing or electrical conduit, was discovered in the wreckage. It comprised five threaded male-to-female connections totaling about 9 inches in length, with a PVC pipe handle on top. The device was in three pieces when found; labels on the handle indicated "LEFT" and "RIGHT," and the top was labeled "FUEL." The bottom had a 3/4-inch notch. When reassembled, the device fit into the airplane fuel selector handle and appeared designed to switch fuel tanks, though its purpose was unknown.
Medical and Pathological Information
The State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy and determined the cause of death as blunt injuries of the head and chest. The pilot weighed 195 pounds. The autopsy identified previous cardiac surgery, a heart weight of 500 grams, myocyte hypertrophy, and extensive myocardial fibrosis. Toxicology testing did not identify any alcohols. The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified clopidogrel, losartan, and metoprolol in blood, and ibuprofen and vardenafil in urine. None of these are considered impairing. The pilot had a history of hypertension and ischemic cardiomyopathy due to severe coronary artery disease, treated with three-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting in 2001. He had obtained a special issuance medical certificate beginning in 2002, but after an internal defibrillator was placed, his medical certificate was denied in December 2007.