History of Flight
On November 10, 2017, at approximately 1120 central standard time, a Temco GC 1B airplane, registration N2363B, was substantially damaged when it struck trees and terrain during maneuvering north of Pineville Municipal Airport (2L0) in Pineville, Louisiana. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The personal cross-country flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed. The flight had departed Lake Water Wheel Airport (XS99) in Shepherd, Texas, around 1000.
According to a friend, the pilot had purchased the airplane in spring 2017 and was relocating it to New York on the day of the accident. No fuel receipts were available for the period before the accident. A witness observed the pilot and the previous owner carrying five-gallon fuel containers to the airplane, but the amount of fuel at departure could not be determined.
A fixed-base operator employee at 2L0 reported that the pilot called on UNICOM to verify the landing gear were down and locked. The airplane was observed flying south to north over the airport, then pitching up and turning right at the north end. The employee confirmed the gear appeared down, but the pilot did not respond. Another witness saw the airplane climb and begin a right turn between 250 and 300 ft above ground level. As it turned, the tail "wobbled," the nose pitched down, and the airplane descended below the tree line. The witness heard a loss of engine power just before the wobble and noted exaggerated rudder movements.
Personnel Information
The pilot held type certificates for the Boeing 727 and North American Sabreliner. On his last medical application, he estimated 5,000 total flight hours, with 15 hours in the previous six months. His medical certificate required corrective lenses for near and distant vision. A scanned logbook showed at least 2,102.2 hours, with 12.5 hours in the Temco GC-1B in 2015, but none within six months of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The Temco GC 1B was manufactured in 1948 under Civil Air Regulations Part 4a. No pilot operating handbook or flight manual was required. The airplane had multiple modifications, including powerplant and landing gear changes. A weight and balance document dated January 8, 2003, indicated a fuel capacity of 215.7 lbs (35.95 gallons) at the most aft center of gravity. The engine datasheet listed fuel consumption of 8.5 to 11 gallons per hour, giving a range of 3 to 4 hours if tanks were full.
The airplane was equipped with aftermarket auxiliary fuel tanks in each wing, installed in January 2008 under Supplemental Type Certificate SA255SO. The airplane had flown only 4.42 hours since installation. Each auxiliary tank had a copper vent line, one end of which was mechanically occluded. The left auxiliary fuel cap was vented but the vent was dirt-occluded; the right cap was not vented. Neither auxiliary tank had a fuel pickup line inside, and the fuel lines were mounted ½ to ¾ inch above the tank bottom. The previous owner had contacted the STC holder about purchasing paperwork for unapproved tanks, but the request was denied. Investigators could not determine the tanks' manufacturer or contact the previous owner or mechanic. No fuel flow issues were known.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was in heavily forested terrain about 0.4 mile northeast of runway 36 at an elevation of 125 ft msl. The main wreckage came to rest inverted on a heading of 60°. Major components were located. Flight control cables showed overload separation. The elevator trim tab was neutral, and the pitch trim motor was operational when powered. The main landing gear were retracted; the handle was found in the up position and the hydraulic pump was operational. Cockpit controls moved corresponding engine linkage. The fuel selector was on the main tank. The main fuel tank was empty and uncompromised. Both auxiliary tanks were impact-damaged and separated. No mechanical anomalies were found with the airframe or flight controls that would have precluded normal operation.
Engine examination revealed impact damage to the No. 4 cylinder and a mud dauber nest on the propeller flange. Spark plugs showed rich mixture deposits. Both magnetos produced spark. The engine rotated through by hand with valve movement and compression. No mechanical anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted by the Louisiana Forensic Center concluded the cause of death was blunt force injuries to the head. Toxicological tests performed by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory were negative for all substances tested.