History of Flight
On August 18, 2018, about 1408 mountain standard time, an experimental Olsson Pietenpol Aircamper, N88HK, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Camp Verde, Arizona. The commercial pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight under visual meteorological conditions; no flight plan had been filed.
The flight originated from Montezuma Airport (19AZ), Camp Verde, Arizona, about 1400, with a planned stop at Cottonwood Airport, Cottonwood, Arizona, and a return to 19AZ. The airplane came to rest in a ravine surrounded by desert terrain about 2.5 miles east of 19AZ.
According to the pilot's wife, the purpose of the flight was to increase the pilot's confidence in a conventional landing gear airplane (tailwheel). She added that the passenger was a non-current flight instructor with experience in tailwheel airplanes.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane was found in hilly, uneven desert terrain surrounded by shrub brush and trees. The first identified point of impact was a 12-inch by 4-inch depression adjacent to the tailwheel. The debris field was contained within about a 10-foot radius of the main wreckage, which comprised all major airframe components oriented on a magnetic heading of 78°.
The wing assembly was deformed in the middle section, with the left portion pushed up and over the main spar and the right wing pushed down. The airplane remained intact; both wood propeller blade roots remained attached to the propeller hub, which remained attached to the crankshaft and engine. The engine remained attached to the airframe. Flight control continuity was established.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Yavapai County Medical Examiner, Prescott Valley, Arizona, performed an autopsy of the pilot. The pilot’s cause of death was blunt force trauma.
The FAA’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicology on the pilot’s tissue samples, revealing Fexofenadine (a non-sedating antihistamine) in blood and urine, and Ranitidine (used to treat heartburn) in urine.
Tests and Research
Postaccident engine examination revealed carbon buildup on the cylinder barrels and piston faces, as well as worn spark plugs. No other mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were found. The airplane’s two Bendix SF4R-8 magnetos were examined and both passed the functionality bench test.