# Accident 20010723025749A: Amtr FIIC2, Marion, TX, July 23, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 23, 2001, 11:15 local time - Place: Marion, TX - Airport: Zuehl Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.5702° N, 98.1397° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.5702&lon=-98.1397&mi=10 - Aircraft: N393Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N393Y-2001-10-01) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Schnitz Thurman R FIIC-2 GOSHAWN (registry code 05607YC, https://openairdocs.org/model/schnitz-thurman-r-fiic-2-goshawn) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR FIIC2 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 9,000 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW01LA168](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA168) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010723025749A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON JULY 23, 2001, AT 1115 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A SCHNITZ FIIC-2 GOSHAWN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT AIRPLANE, N393Y, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE ZUEHL AIRPORT NEAR MARION, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED AND THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 FLIGHT TEST. THE LOCAL FLIGHT WAS INITIATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, A WITNESS STATED THAT IT WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOR THE TANDEM-SEAT, BI-WING AIRPLANE. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED MAKING A FEW HIGH SPEED TAXIS AT THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE EVENTUALLY TOOK OFF AND MADE A "SHARP TURN TO THE LEFT." THE AIRPLANE THEN "STALLED," AND IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. (-23) ON THE MORNING OF JULY 23, 2001, THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT PERFORMED A HIGH-SPEED CHECK ON RWY 17. AFTER A SHORT DELAY, THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED BACK FOR TAKEOFF. THE FLIGHT WAS VERY SHORT AND THE MAXIMUM ALTITUDE WAS ESTIMA TED TO BE 300 FEET. WITNESSES REPORTED A SHARP LEFT BANK TURN AFTER TAKEOFF WITH ACCOMPANYING ENGINE SURGES. THE AIRCRAFT BANK ANGLE INCREASED, THE PLANE DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. FLIGHT DURATION WAS ESTIMATED TO BE LESS THAN SIXTY SECONDS. PRIOR TO IMPACT THE PLANE STRUCK A TALL ASH TREE WHICH REVERSED THE FLIGHT PATH AND CAUSED THE WRECKAGE TO BE HEADING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. AFTER GROUND IMPACT, FUEL WAS SEEN DRIPPPING ON THE FLOOR OF THE FRONT COCKPIT. IT IGNITED WITH A MILD CONCUSSION AND WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE NEIGHBORS WITH HAND FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. BOTH PILOTS WERE REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT BY NEIGHBORS AT THE SCENE. THERE WAS ONE FATAL AND ONE SERIOUSLY INJURED PILOT. THE NEIGHBORS WERE NOT INJURED DURING THE RESCUE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTAINED AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE BUT NO OPERATING LIMITATIONS AS REQUIRED. (.4) THE TWO PILOTS WERE CONDUCTING A HIGH SPEED TAXI TEST RUN WHEN THE BI-WING, EXPERIMENTAL, AMATEUR-BUILT AIRPLANE INADVERTENTLY TOOK OFF. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE TANDEM-SEAT AIRPLANE MAKE A "SHARP TURN TO THE LEFT", "STALL," IMPACT TERRAIN AND CATCH FIRE. DURING THE BRIEF FLIGHT, WITNESSES HEARD A SURGING NOISE. THE AIRPLANE HAD NEVER BEEN FLOWN BEFORE AND HAD BEEN ISSUED AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO PEOPLE AT THE AIRPORT, THE FRONT SEAT PILOT HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE AIRPLANE FOR OVER A YEAR AND HAD NEVER FLOWN IT. THEY ADDED THAT THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR HAD BEEN REMOVED AND REINSTALLED A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE REAR SEAT PILOT STATED THAT IT WAS HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO TAKEOFF. TOXICOLOGY TESTS ON THE FRONT SEAT PILOT REVEALED 0.05 UG/ML OF DIPHENHYDRAMINE IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD, AN UNQUANTIFIED AMOUNT OF DIPHENHYDRAMINE IN THE LIVER, AND 1.076 UG/ML OF ACETAMINOPHEN IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD. ACETAMINOPHEN IS AN OVER-THE-COUNTER PAIN RELIEVER COMMONLY KNOWN BY THE TRADE NAME TYLENOL. DIPHENHYDRAMINE IS AN OVER-THE-COUNTER ANTIHISTAMINE. A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF DIPHENHYDRAMINE ON DRIVING PERFORMANCE REVEALED THAT THE DRUG SIGNIFICANTLY IMPAIRED A PERSON'S ABILITY TO MANEUVER AN AUTOMOBILE. EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR REVEALED THAT THE BOOSTER PUMP DRIVE SHAFT WAS COATED WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE A COOKED OIL COATING, AND THE PILOT VALVE WAS STICKING INSIDE THE BOOSTER PUMP DRIVE SHAFT. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF THE COOKED OIL COATING WAS A RESULT OF THE POST CRASH FIRE OR A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW01LA168](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA168), Jul 23, 2001: Schnitz FIIC-2 Goshawk (N393Y), Marion, TX, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the loss of control on takeoff for undetermined reasons. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.