History of Flight
On May 27, 2021, about 1835 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Early Bird Jenny, registration N831HC, was destroyed in an accident near Stoneville, North Carolina. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The co-owner and co-builder of the airplane reported that he had flown the airplane earlier that morning for about 30 minutes before returning due to rain. He described the flight as uneventful, with the airplane performing well, although the takeoff profile was “flatter than usual” due to the warmer temperature. The co-owner and the accident pilot, who was the other owner and builder, moved the airplane into their hangar and waited for the rain to pass. Later that afternoon, the accident pilot departed on runway 31.
The co-owner observed that the taxi was normal and the engine was producing power, but the takeoff did not “look right.” He noted the airplane’s pitch attitude as “a little steep” and that it looked slow. He saw the wings rock left and right and the airplane “buffet” before the right wing dropped and the airplane impacted terrain.
Another witness reported that the airplane appeared to be “hanging off the prop” during initial climb with wings “rocking.” At about 150 ft above ground level, the airplane entered an abrupt turn and “dropped” to the ground, resulting in a “big ball of flame.” The witness stated that the engine did not sputter and seemed to be producing full power until impact.
Personnel Information
Review of excerpts from the pilot’s logbook dated from July 3, 2019, to May 11, 2021, showed a total of about 755 hours of flight experience. The logbook contained two flights in the accident airplane: the first on September 8, 2019, lasting 0.4 hours and annotated as “first flight of N831HC”; the second on November 29, 2020, also 0.4 hours in duration. No maneuvers were annotated for these flights.
Aircraft Information
The airplane’s experimental amateur-built airworthiness certificate was issued on August 4, 2019. The most recent condition inspection was completed by the accident pilot on August 15, 2020, at 7.6 hours of operation.
The co-owner reported that he and the accident pilot alternated flying the airplane and were working through the 40-hour Phase 1 requirement. He described the airplane as “very docile” but stated they were still becoming comfortable and “stayed in the middle of the envelope.” The co-owner also reported that neither pilot had conducted any aerodynamic stalls at altitude. The airplane was not equipped with a stall warning system.
The co-owner mentioned initial concerns about weight and balance due to the accident pilot’s weight (about 300 pounds based on his most recent medical certificate), but they were careful not to exceed aft center-of-gravity limits. Weight and balance limitations for the airplane were not located, so the weight and balance condition at the time of the accident was not determined.
On the day of the accident, the airplane was fueled to capacity with automotive gas stored in cans in the hangar. The co-owner estimated that about 2 gallons were consumed during his earlier flight, and the airplane was not refueled before the accident flight. The airplane’s most recent flight before the accident was in January 2021. The day of the accident was both pilots’ first experience flying the airplane in warmer weather.
Meteorological Information
Reported weather at the airport around the time of the accident included calm wind, temperature 27°C, dew point 18°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.97 inches of mercury. The calculated density altitude was about 2,446 ft.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was located about 175 ft north of the runway 13/31 centerline and about 2,500 ft from the runway 31 threshold. The airplane came to rest on a southerly heading and was destroyed by postimpact fire. All major components were accounted for at the site, and flight control continuity was established from the control surfaces to the cockpit area. The wooden propeller separated from the engine and was highly fragmented. The engine displayed extensive thermal damage; the crankshaft could not be rotated by hand, but valve train continuity was achieved upon rotation of the camshaft. The throttle control cable was continuous from the carburetor to the cockpit area.
Additional Information
Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 90-89C, Amateur-Built Aircraft and Ultralight Flight Testing Handbook, recommends establishing an airplane’s preliminary stall speed and low-speed handling characteristics during the first flight at a safe altitude of 5,000 ft above ground level. The AC also notes that the FAA and the Experimental Aircraft Association strongly urge amateur builders to install an angle of attack indicator or lift reserve indicator in their aircraft, as most experimental amateur-built aircraft lack a stall warning device.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot was performed at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh, North Carolina. The cause of death was multiple blunt force injury. The autopsy revealed an enlarged heart with left ventricular wall thickening, anthracosis in the lungs, and minimal soot deposits in the trachea. Toxicology testing showed a carboxyhemoglobin saturation of 13%. Additional testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected salicylic acid (aspirin) and the blood pressure medications amlodipine, metoprolol, and valsartan in the pilot’s blood and urine, with a carboxyhemoglobin saturation of 11%.