History of Flight
On January 27, 2018, at approximately 0121 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172F (serial number 17252459, registration N8559U) collided with trees and impacted terrain near Williamsport, Indiana. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Kilo Aviation, LLC, of Lacon, Illinois, under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a ferry flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK) in Columbus, Ohio, at 2130 the previous day, with a destination of Vermilion Regional Airport (DNV) in Danville, Illinois.
According to a representative of Kilo Aviation, he and the pilot departed Marshall County Airport (C75) in Lacon, Illinois, about 1330 in a different airplane and flew to Orange County Airport (OMH) in Orange, Virginia, arriving around 1600. The pilot was to ferry the newly purchased accident airplane back to C75. The pilot departed OMH in the accident airplane about 1730. The Kilo Aviation representative departed separately. The pilot flew to LCK, arriving shortly after 2000. Fuel records indicate the airplane was serviced with 31 gallons of fuel between 2056 and 2103. The pilot then departed LCK.
Radar and GPS data, recreated by an NTSB Transportation Safety Specialist, show the airplane departing LCK and flying west-northwest into Indiana. South of Kokomo, Indiana, it turned to a more westerly heading. Radar contact was lost about 9 miles east of Danville, Illinois.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single- and multiengine land and instrument ratings. He also held a BasicMed certificate dated July 21, 2017. According to FAA documents, he had logged an estimated 1,000 flight hours, with 100 hours in a Cessna 172.
Aircraft Information
The Cessna 172F (serial number 17252459) was manufactured in 1965. It was powered by a Continental O-300-C5 engine (serial number 17252459, rated at 145 horsepower) driving a McCauley 2-blade, fixed-pitch metal propeller (model 1C172MDM653). According to the Cessna 172F Cruise and Range Performance Chart, the airplane's total usable fuel was 36 gallons. At 5,000 feet at full power, fuel consumption was about 9.8 gallons per hour, providing about 3.7 hours endurance.
The airplane had two main fuel tanks with a total capacity of 40 gallons (36 usable). It was also equipped with Flint Aero auxiliary fuel tanks (Supplemental Type Certificate SA1618WE) providing an additional 23 gallons. However, the wing fuel filler caps for the auxiliary tanks were placarded inoperative, and the auxiliary fuel gauges were also placarded inoperative. No transfer fuel pump switch was found.
The last annual inspection was performed on July 7, 2016, and the last 100-hour inspection on July 25, 2017. The engine was overhauled to factory limits on July 28, 2008, at which time it had accrued 4,525 total hours. It had accrued 257.7 hours since major overhaul, totaling 4,782 hours. At the time of the accident, both airframe and engine had 4,782.7 hours.
Meteorological Information
At 0135, the reported weather at Vermilion Regional Airport (DNV), 8 miles west of the accident site, included wind from 200° at 21 knots gusting to 29 knots, visibility 10 miles, ceiling 5,000 feet overcast, temperature 9°C, dew point -1°C, and altimeter setting 30.09 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located in hilly, wooded terrain at an elevation of 621 feet above mean sea level. Measurements indicated the airplane struck trees on a magnetic heading of 180° and came to rest inverted on a heading of 282°. Examination revealed extensive compression damage to the forward fuselage and leading edge crush damage to both wings. All four corners of the airplane were identified. All flight control surfaces remained attached. The fuel selector handle and valve were in the "BOTH" tanks position. A small amount of fuel was found in the firewall fuel strainer. Both main fuel tanks were intact but no fuel was observed inside them, and no fuel smell was noticed at the site. The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft; one blade was slightly bowed aft about two-thirds from the hub, the other bent aft about halfway; no chordwise scratches or leading-edge damage were observed.
On March 28, 2019, the engine was examined at AMF Aviation in Springfield, Tennessee. The top spark plugs showed light and dark colored combustion deposits, with electrodes exhibiting normal worn-out signatures. Cylinder combustion chambers examined with a borescope showed no anomalies. The oil screen was free of debris. The crankshaft was rotated by hand; continuity to the accessory section and throughout the valve train was obtained. Magnetos produced spark on all six top ignition leads when rotated, and impulse coupling engagement was heard. The throttle and mixture arms moved freely, and the throttle actuated the accelerator pump. The fuel inlet screen was free of debris. The carburetor was disassembled with no anomalies noted; no fuel was present. The carburetor air box was unobstructed. The engine examination revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation and power production.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by Central Indiana Forensic Associates attributed death to "blunt force trauma to the head, chest, and abdomen." A toxicology screen by NMS Labs found caffeine (0.20 mcg/ml) and warfarin (0.25 mcg/ml) in peripheral blood, and opiates (300 ng/ml) in urine. A toxicology screen by the FAA's Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory found no evidence of carboxyhemoglobin or ethanol, but detected metoprolol (0.408 ug/mL, ug/g), morphine (0.013 ug/mL, ug/g), hydromorphone (0.028 ug/mL, ug/g), codeine, and warfarin in urine; warfarin was also detected in blood.
According to FAA records, at his last medical exam on August 25, 2016, the pilot reported dermatologic conditions, atrial fibrillation, and a hernia repair. He reported using metoprolol, warfarin, and testosterone. None of these medications are considered impairing. Due to his atrial fibrillation, he was granted a special issuance third-class medical certificate limited by a requirement to wear corrective lenses and marked "Not valid for any class after 8/30/2017." The pilot applied for BasicMed status, granted in July 2017.
Codeine is an opioid analgesic; morphine and hydromorphone are its active metabolites; these substances are psychoactive and impairing when present in blood at significant levels. However, small amounts in urine can result from ingestion of poppy seeds rather than pharmaceuticals.