History of Flight
On June 25, 2020, at 1254 mountain daylight time, a Sonex Light Sport experimental amateur-built airplane, registration N620AK, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Centerville, Utah. The owner-pilot and pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight.
A witness driving observed the airplane traveling southbound at an altitude not more than 100 ft above ground. The witness then saw the airplane bank hard to the right, nosedive into the ground, and burst into flames.
Another witness residing near the accident site saw a small white low-wing airplane traveling from west to east at what appeared to be a normal altitude and heard a “backfiring” sound. The witness continued to watch until the airplane flew out of sight and later learned it was the accident airplane.
A dash cam video from a northbound driver on an interstate highway showed the airplane coming into view from north to south at low altitude, then attempting a descending right 180° turn. As the turn progressed 90°, the bank angle increased significantly. The right wing dropped, and the airplane impacted terrain in a nose- and right-wing-low attitude, then burst into flames. The forward cabin area was consumed by fire.
The estimated flight track approximated a right turn to base in a traffic pattern for landing on a suitable surface that appeared to be an abandoned/reclaimed runway. The accident site was about 300 ft east of what would have been the runway’s threshold if landing to the north.
Personnel Information
The pilot-in-command held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued January 15, 2020, without limitations. As of June 16, 2020, he had logged 1,016 total hours, including 853 hours as pilot-in-command and 78 hours in the accident make and model.
The owner-pilot (pilot-rated passenger) had no personal logbook records recovered. According to an FAA aviation safety inspector, his airman certificate was suspended on July 2, 2014, due to a loss-of-control accident in March 2013 while landing. At the time of the June 25, 2020 accident, he had not complied with the suspension provisions requiring a competency check, so he could not legally act as pilot-in-command.
Aircraft Information
No aircraft or engine records were recovered during the investigation.
Meteorological Information
According to FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, “Carburetor Icing Prevention,” temperature and dewpoint at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at cruise and glide power settings.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage came to rest upright in an open field on an easterly heading, about 1,245 ft west of an interstate highway and about 300 ft east of the approach end of a suitable landing surface that appeared to be a reclaimed runway aligned north-south. The left wing was elevated slightly on a wire fence; the right wing rested on the ground. All flight-essential components were accounted for. A detailed postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The pilot (pilot-in-command) succumbed to his injuries about 4 days after the accident. Due to medical interventions during that time, neither autopsy nor toxicology were performed.
An autopsy on the owner-pilot (pilot-rated passenger) was performed by the Office of the Medical Examiner, Taylorsville, Utah. The cause of death was attributed to blunt force and thermal injuries. FAA forensic toxicology tested negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. Cannabidiol was detected in blood and urine; cannabidiol is not disqualifying for FAA medical certification.