Accident
On June 26, 2019, about 1030 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Rans S-6S airplane, registration N661PF, was destroyed in an accident near Six Oaks Airport (NC67), Fletcher, North Carolina. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The commercial pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured.
According to the airplane’s owner, the commercial pilot had requested to use the airplane for a flight review. The owner noted that the pilot had flown the airplane the previous day without reporting any issues. The aircraft was filled with nonethanol automobile gas the day before the accident.
Data extracted from a Garmin 496 GPS device found at the accident site showed the flight track, GPS altitude, time, heading, and ground speed from 0955:25. At about 1004, data consistent with a takeoff from runway 6 at NC67 were recorded. The flight track then showed the airplane flying approximately 7 miles northeast of NC67, performing maneuvers, and returning to the airport. The airplane completed a series of spiral descending turns, entered the left downwind leg, and landed on runway 24 about 1025.
At 1026:08, data consistent with another takeoff on runway 6 were recorded. The airplane gained about 500 ft in altitude, climbing northeast at 57-65 kts ground speed. At 1027:57, ground speed decreased to 49 kts and then, 7 seconds later, to 10 kts, followed by a rapid decrease in GPS altitude. The last data point was at 10:28:38, about 10 ft from the main wreckage site.
Witness Accounts
A private pilot-rated witness at a gas station about half a mile from the accident site reported observing the airplane flying erratically. He then saw the airplane enter two cascading aerodynamic stalls, bank right and then left, and enter a classic spin, completing one-and-a-half turns before descending out of view.
Another witness, jogging along a road about 550 ft from the accident site, reported that the airplane was flying away from the airport, wavered slightly in midair, descended, and impacted the ground at a steep angle. He noted that the airplane sounded normal.
Personnel
Review of the commercial pilot’s logbook, who also held a flight instructor certificate, showed that his most recent flight review was completed on June 6, 2017, with a different instructor. He had logged 3.3 hours in the accident airplane.
The flight instructor’s logbooks, dating back to the airplane’s manufacture date in 2007, contained no recorded flights in the accident airplane. The flight instructor’s spouse stated that she believed the two pilots had not flown together previously.
Weather
The witness at the gas station reported wind from the south at 7-8 kts, clear skies, and unrestricted visibility. The jogging witness reported clear and sunny weather with few clouds and no wind.
Wreckage and Impact
The initial impact point was in a flat open pasture about 65 ft from the main wreckage, with the wreckage path oriented on a 070° heading about 0.72 nautical mile from the runway 24 threshold at NC67. Fragments of the propeller and engine cowling were found at the initial impact point. The airplane sustained extensive impact damage and came to rest upright on a heading of 245°, partially on its right side, with part of the left wing elevated. No fire occurred.
All major components were accounted for. Flight control continuity was established from all surfaces to the cockpit. The left flap was retracted, the right flap partially extended. The left-wing fuel tank was empty, the tank not breached, and the cap tight. Air flowed freely through the fuel ports. The right-wing fuel tank was full, the cap tight, and fuel flowed freely when ports were cut. A fuel sample from the right tank appeared unremarkable, with no debris or water.
The cockpit section sustained significant impact damage. Both seats were attached, seatbelts and shoulder harnesses cut by first responders. The flap handle was in the first notch, airspeed indicated 0 knots. The g-meter showed three indicator needles: first at 3/4 positive G, second at negative 2.5 G, third at negative 4 G. The throttle lever was full forward, choke stowed, circuit breakers in, trim in takeoff position, ignition switches on (later moved to off by first responders), fuel shutoff valve on (later moved to off). Low-pressure air flowed freely through the valve when open.
Engine Examination
The engine remained attached to the firewall and sustained impact damage. All spark plugs displayed normal operating signatures. Both carburetors were intact with fuel in their bowls, no debris observed. The propeller hub contained fragment splinters, with most of the two-bladed propeller splintered off. The engine started and operated normally during a postaccident test run.
Medical and Pathological Information
According to autopsy reports from the Buncombe County Medical Examiner, both pilots died from multiple blunt force injuries. The commercial pilot had moderate to severe two-vessel coronary artery atherosclerosis. Toxicology testing was negative for carbon monoxide, volatiles, and drugs.
The flight instructor had cardiomegaly, severe atherosclerosis in the left anterior descending artery, moderate atherosclerosis in other arteries, patent three-vessel grafts, a sternotomy scar, and a fibrotic scar indicating a remote heart attack. Toxicology testing detected rosuvastatin, metoprolol, famotidine, and sitagliptin, all nonimpairing.