History of Flight
On March 23, 2019, at 1535 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Commuter Craft Innovator, registration N257AR, was destroyed when it collided with terrain during an uncontrolled descent after takeoff from Thomas B. David Field (CZL) in Calhoun, Georgia. The pilot, who was also the owner, designer, and builder of the aircraft, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a test flight.
The aircraft was the prototype intended for mass production. Its first flight was performed by a test pilot on February 25, 2019, at the same airport. That flight consisted of one traffic pattern and landing. After that flight, the aircraft was disassembled, returned to the factory, modified based on data and observations, and brought back for taxi testing the day before the accident.
On the accident day, the pilot asked his assistant to fly a chase plane with a camera to photograph the aircraft. He stated he did not intend to fly, but would land if it lifted off, and would only fly if he had no other choice. The assistant watched from the chase plane as the accident aircraft departed barely above treetops, turned in the traffic pattern, and then descended from view. The chase pilot reported that the pilot instructed him to depart first, then the accident aircraft would take off, enter the downwind leg, verify satisfactory flight, and climb to 3,000 ft for formation footage. However, no footage was captured.
Video from a camera on the aircraft's right window showed that immediately after takeoff, the aircraft experienced rapid pitch and roll oscillations. The pilot made pronounced control stick movements in response. The aircraft remained at treetop height during the upwind and crosswind legs, then reached about 200 ft agl on the downwind leg. As it accelerated, pitch oscillations increased in amplitude. A handheld radio and the pilot were seen to float in the cockpit during nose-down portions of the phugoid. Onboard data showed multiple pitch oscillations between about 1° nose-down and 12° nose-up. Engine parameters were nominal at high power. An audible "oil pressure" warning was heard during one oscillation. The video ended abruptly as the pilot became unseated for about the fourth time and the aircraft appeared near treetop height. The aircraft then impacted terrain.
The chase pilot estimated the aircraft never exceeded 200 ft agl and struggled to maintain airspeed or nose-up attitude. He heard the pilot announce intention to return but without reason. He described the aircraft porpoising before the nose dipped and it collided with trees and terrain. Another witness, also a pilot, observed the aircraft pitching and rolling about 20° left and right and described the crosswind turn as steep with a 45° bank angle. Another witness heard the engine loud, smooth, and continuous until impact.
Personnel Information
FAA records showed the pilot did not hold a valid medical certificate and had not completed a BasicMed course. His logbook indicated 334 total flight hours, with entries from 1986 onward showing long gaps. He logged 40.6 hours in 1986-1987, then no flying until 1991, regular flying from 1991-1995, then only one flight in 2011, two in 2017, and three in 2018 totaling 4.7 hours. His most recent flight was 1.1 hours on April 27, 2018, in a Flight Design CTLS. He had no experience in the Innovator aircraft as pilot or passenger. His logbook remarks showed only rudimentary flights and training; he had no test pilot experience or training.
Employees reported scheduling pressures regarding the aircraft's development. Two employees strongly urged him not to fly the accident aircraft and received assurances he would not. His executive assistant noted financial pressures from an investor. Employees described the pilot as sleep deprived and sick with a severe cough, head and chest congestion, and fever, self-medicating with over-the-counter non-drowsy cold medication.
Aircraft Information
The composite airplane was a two-place, twin-tailboom, rear-engine, pusher-propeller design powered by a Titan IOX-370-CLD1T4 engine. The Hobbs meter showed about 12 hours, with about 0.3 hours of actual flight time. The test pilot who flew the first flight provided a detailed account: immediately after takeoff, the aircraft entered wild pitch and roll oscillations. He ran out of elevator up trim within seconds and had to apply substantial control pressure. He noted the aircraft departed uncommanded from straight and level flight about a dozen times. He considered bailing out but managed to reduce throttle and land. He opined that static stability was divergent and unstable, while dynamic stability was just barely stable. Video of that first flight corroborated his description.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The aircraft was destroyed by impact with no pre- or post-impact fire. Ground scars and fragmentation were consistent with a steep, nose-down, high-speed impact. The wreckage path was about 90 ft long, oriented 132° magnetic, starting in an open field and ending in a narrow wood line. Flight control continuity could not be confirmed due to multiple overload cable breaks. The engine was separated from its mounts but control continuity was established. Both composite propeller blades were uniformly fractured at the hubs with chordwise scratching. Engine rotation confirmed powertrain continuity; thumb compression could not be confirmed on two cylinders due to impact damage. Borescope examination showed normal wear. Electronic magnetos and engine-driven fuel pump were impact damaged.
Additional Information
The FAA issued Advisory Circular 90-89B on amateur-built aircraft flight testing, emphasizing that test flying requires thorough planning, skill, and common sense. It provided guidance on developing a flight test plan and recommended the test pilot have at least 100 solo flights in similar aircraft and follow the plan exactly. FAA AC 90-109A discussed stability and controllability of unfamiliar aircraft, noting that negatively stable airplanes may be difficult or impossible to fly.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing detected Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Dextromethorphan in muscle tissue and Naproxen and Dextrorphan in liver tissue; these medications were not considered a hazard to aviation safety.