19981204032759A

(.19) On December 4, 1998, about 1345 eastern standard time, an American AA-1 yankee, N6166L, was destroyed when it impacted a river in brooklyn, Connecticut, shortly after takeoff from Danielson Airport (5B3), Danielson, Connecticut. The student pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the local flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to a witness, the airplane took off, maintained a level flight attitude for about 5 seconds, then began a steep climb. The witness estimated the airplane to be about 300 feet in the air, and 1/4 mile past the end of the runway, when he looked away. The witness then heard the engine "cut out," and looked up toward the airplane again. He saw it in a steep left bank, rapidly losing altitude. During the descent, the witness did not hear the engine operate, but did hear several backfires. The airplane appeared to turn to a southwest heading, and pulled out of a steep descent before the witness lost sight of it behind trees. The witness, who was also a pilot, later stated to a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector, that he did not see the airplane spin. Another witness, about 300 yards from the impact point, stated to the FAA inspector that he saw the airplane after the engine noise stopped. It was wings level, just above the trees, over the river. Just before losing visual contact with the airplane, he saw the right wing and nose drop. The airplane wreckage was located in the middle of the quinebaug river, about 1,000 feet southwest of the departure end of Danielson Airport runway 31. The engine was partially submerged, and the upper left mount was broken away from the airframe. The engine was upright, with one propeller blade embedded in the riverbed. The empennage stuck out of the river at approximately a 40-degree angle. It was buckled on the right side where it joined the cabin area, and was canted to the right about 10 degrees. The right wing was separated from the fuselage, while the left wing remained attached. Both wings exhibited some outboard leading edge crushing, and both fiberglass wing tips had separated from the metal wings. The riverbed at the accident site was composed of rounded pebbles and rocks, with some sand and silt. The propeller blade that was found embedded in the riverbed exhibited scratches which emanated from the leading edge of the blade, towards the blade tip, in varying angles of 20 to 70 degrees. The other propeller blade exhibited s-bending, gouges and pitting in the outboard leading edge, chordwise scratches, and additional scratches which paralleled the blade's leading edge. The propeller spinner was dented and scratched in one hemisphere. The orientation matched the damaged found on the second propeller blade. Some of the scratches were aligned fore and aft, while others rotated about 1/4 of the way around the spinner. An initial cockpit examination was performed while the airplane was still in the river. There was a strong odor of automobile gas, and a sheen on the water. The fuel gauges indicated between 1/8 a ND 1/4 full. The carburetor heat knob was in, the throttle was out about 3/4 of an inch, and the mixture and primer knobs were full in. The fuel selector was damaged, and found just inboard of the "left" position. The key-operated magneto switch was not damaged, and found in the "off" position. Engine examination revealed that all rocker boxes were in place, with the number 1 rocker box dented. All spark plugs were tight, except the lower number 1 plug, which was in contact with the number 1 exhaust stack. Drive train continuity was established, and magneto spark was obtained on all leads. Compression was established in all cylinders except number 1. The lower spark plug to that cylinder was removed, and a flex light shined into the cylinder. No damage or discrepancies were found to either the piston or the cylinder walls. The engine driven fuel pump was removed and operated by hand. It was then opened, and no discrepancies were found. A review of the aircraft and engine logbooks revealed that an annual inspection had been completed on November 24, 1998. However, work performed and tachometer/total hours were not logged. In an interview with the FAA inspector, the mechanic stated that he normally logged those things, but hadn't yet had the time to do so. Additionally, the mechanic stated that the airplane was in "mint" condition. The engine had run very smoothly and there were no known problems of any sort. He felt there was no way the engine could have failed. He said he had a friend who saw the airplane take off, level off, accelerate, do a steep climb, and make a sharp left turn. Then the friend saw the aircraft "shake then, like an accelerated stall, and I don't think [the student pilot]recovered from that." The mechanic said he asked the student pilot the day before the accident if he had ever stalled that particular airplane with that engine, and the student pilot responded that he hadn't. the airplane received a supplemental type certificate (STC) to replace the original engine with a Lycoming O-320. The airplane did not have a STC to use auto gas. The student pilot's wallet, logbook and license were not recovered. The student pilot previously held a commercial pilot certificate, with a single engine land rating. It was suspended in July 1994 due to a "low flying" complaint. The pilot was required to have an FAA recheck, but was observed flying with the suspended license. As a result, his license was revoked in February, 1996. The pilot began flying again, as a student pilot, on November 28, 1998, and received a safe for solo checkout from a certified flight instructor on that date. In his interview with the FAA inspector, the flight instructor stated that during the student pilot's safe for solo flight, the student pilot was headstrong and not a good listener, tended to avoid using the checklist, tended to roll into a steep turn from downwind to base leg, and rushed everything. However, the student pilot also had a good feel for the aircraft, maintained proper airspeed on climbout, was always in trim with the ball centered, reacted properly to windshear, did a good stall recovery, and had good landings. The mechanic estimated that the student pilot had flown about 10 hours between his safe for solo flight and the accident.(-23) after take-off, aircraft was placed in a steep climb attitiude. At approximately 300', witness stated aircraft was in a steep left turn and descending with engine "backfiring". Pilot failed to recover prior to impact in river. Witness estimated nose down attitude of approximately 25 degree throughout descent.