History of Flight
On May 11, 2019, at 2030 Pacific daylight time, an unregistered experimental weight-shift-control light sport TopDog Ultralights aircraft was substantially damaged when it crashed near Creswell, Oregon. The non-certificated pilot sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
A witness, an acquaintance of the pilot, was recording the flight with his phone. The video showed the pilot departing on runway 34 at 2028. After departure, the pilot made a right turn, continued south briefly, then made another right turn. The aircraft crossed over the runway about midfield, and the pilot then turned south over the hangars. The aircraft began to descend, and the witness lost visual contact as it went below the hangar roofline. When the aircraft reappeared, it entered a left turn that became steeper, with the entire upper wing surface visible. The aircraft briefly disappeared behind a tree, and then an orange shape, consistent with the lower wing color, was seen low in the trees.
Personnel Information
A review of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) database revealed that the pilot held no certifications. The pilot's experience in the accident aircraft could not be determined. Examination of his cellular phone showed that his second and fourth flights occurred on April 28 and May 1, 2019, respectively.
An ultralight owner based at the airport reported that he had communicated with the accident pilot numerous times. The pilot had purchased a small homebuilt aircraft about a year before the accident, performed high-speed taxi tests, but never got it flying. He crashed it and sold the wreckage. He then purchased the accident aircraft's wing and chassis separately from two different people on Craigslist. The pilot had no experience assembling a weight-shift-control aircraft and declined an offer of assistance. Over several months, the pilot sent videos showing the accident aircraft flying erratically. The ultralight owner advised the pilot to take flight lessons and offered to inspect the aircraft, but the pilot stated it was not needed.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was on the property of a residence about 900 feet south of the runway. The wreckage was distributed over a 100-foot distance on a median magnetic bearing of about 226°. Impact marks were consistent with the aircraft contacting tree branches about 80 feet above ground level. The 300 feet between the tree and the main wreckage contained debris, primarily right-wing rib pieces and tree debris.
The carriage was fractured in multiple locations. The left shock strut was slightly bowed inward, and the carriage keel was bent. The keel under the saddle-style fuel tank had broken. There was an impression in the dirt that was square in orientation and red in color, consistent with the forward area of the carriage keel. The keel nose contained impacted dirt embedded at least 8 inches into the tubing. The ground scar impressions and fracture patterns were consistent with the trike impacting terrain in a near-vertical attitude, banked slightly left.
Examination of the flight controls and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal flight.
Medical and Pathological Information
Toxicology testing of the pilot was performed by the Oregon Department of State Police Forensic Laboratory and the FAA’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory. The Oregon lab identified methamphetamine at 5.3 mg/L (± 0.5 mg/L) and amphetamine at 0.49 mg/L (± 0.06 mg/L) in cavity blood. The FAA lab found 4.943 mg/L of methamphetamine and 0.403 mg/L of amphetamine in cavity blood, and also detected these substances in various tissues.
Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance, available in low doses by prescription for conditions such as ADHD, ADD, obesity, and narcolepsy. Oral doses typically produce blood levels in the range of 0.02–0.05 mg/L. Levels above 0.20 mg/L indicate recreational use. Recreational users seeking intense euphoria may snort, smoke, or inject the drug, reaching levels above 2.00 mg/L.