Accident Details
On June 15, 2021, at approximately 0820 mountain standard time, an experimental, amateur-built Tri-Quickie, registration N8054Y, was destroyed when it crashed near Gila Bend, Arizona. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the pilot-rated passenger was fatally injured. The flight was being conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and was flying it from California to Texas. A friend of the pilot reported advising against taking a passenger until the pilot gained more experience in the aircraft.
According to the airport manager, the pilot and passenger arrived at the airport the evening before the accident and refueled the airplane with 17.5 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation fuel. They departed the following morning from runway 4.
Witness Account
A witness working on his own airplane observed two men performing a preflight inspection and boarding the accident airplane. The pilot started the engine, taxied to the runway hold short line, and sat with the engine running for about 20 minutes before departing. During the takeoff roll, about one-third of the way down the 5,200-foot runway, the witness saw a dirt cloud and believed the landing gear had left the runway surface. The airplane returned to the runway centerline and continued. About halfway down the runway, it appeared the airplane was abruptly lifted off and struggled to climb. The witness estimated the airplane reached about 50 feet in altitude, then made a left turn, stalled, and impacted the ground.
Weather Conditions
The closest weather reporting station was Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Airport (GXF), 5 nautical miles southwest at an elevation of 883 feet. At 0758, conditions included wind from 120° at 4 knots, temperature 93.2°F, dewpoint 42.8°F, altimeter 29.81 inches of mercury, and a calculated density altitude of 3,486 feet. At 0858, the wind was from 280° at 3 knots, temperature 98.6°F, dewpoint 42.8°F, altimeter 29.81 inches of mercury, and density altitude of 3,810 feet.
Wreckage and Examination
The airplane came to rest about 200 feet west of runway 4, adjacent to the airport perimeter fence. Initial impact marks from the landing gear were found on the hard-packed desert floor, with a debris path extending 140 feet before the airplane impacted a ditch and came to rest. A postcrash fire ensued.
The airframe was largely destroyed by fire, exposing internal components. The main wreckage was inverted, with the wing and landing gear near the cockpit. Flight control cables were identified from the cockpit to the wings and tail section. The engine had separated and was found near the main wreckage. The propeller hub remained attached to the crankshaft, but all three blades had separated.
Engine examination revealed no holes in the crankcase, though thermal and impact damage affected the accessory case. The crankshaft could not be rotated, and upon disassembly, pooled molten metal was found in the accessory case area. Cylinders and pistons exhibited varying thermal damage. Examination of the airframe and engine disclosed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Weight and balance information for the airplane was not located, and no performance specifications were available.