20020419006199A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr AIRCAM · Troy, AL · April 19, 2002

Date
April 19, 2002 · 18:04 local
Place
Troy, AL
Airport
Troy Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Unauth Low Level Opns
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N912S
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA02LA086
Reported as
Amtr Aircam
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,500 total100 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On April 19, 2002, at approximately 1804 cdst, a experimental homebuilt, air cam, N912S, crashed after flying about 1 mile from the Troy airport located in Troy Alabama. The aircraft had been flying uneventful for around 30 minutes prior to striking a powerline and crashing into a small pond located in a residential neighborhood. privacy data omitted Provided a written statement that the aircraft was under power once it struck the power line and appeared not to be in any distress. The pilot was taken to the pike county hospital where he was later transferred to the university of Alabama birmingham hospital located in birmingham Alabama. On April 30, 2002, Mr. Roush was contacted by this office for a statement pertaining to the accident. Mr. Roush stated that he did not remember anything before or after the accident but would mail a statement to this office if he regained any memory. (.19) on April 19, 2002, about 1804 central daylight time, a lett r/campbell k. Aircam homebuilt airplane, N912S, registered to pike aviation inc., struck power lines and impacted in a lake while maneuvering near Troy, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. No flight plan w as filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was destroyed. The airline transport-rated pilot reported serious injuries. The flight had departed from the Troy airport, about 1730. According to witnesses the airplane had been flying around the area low level for about 30 minutes, when it struck power lines, about 70 feet above a lake, then fell into the water. The crash site was located about 1 mile southeast of the airport. A witness jumped into the lake and rescued the pilot from the submerged wreckage. There were no reports of any engine problems before the airplane struck the power lines. (.4) on April 19, 2002, about 1804 central daylight time, a lett r/campbell k. Aircam homebuilt airplane, N912S, registered to pike aviation inc., and operated by an individual, struck power lines, and impacted in a lake while maneuvering near Troy, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. No flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was destroyed. The airline transport-rated pilot reported serious injuries. The flight had departed from the Troy airport, about 171 5. The pilot stated in a letter that, "I have no recollection of the accident nor any other incidents which occurred on 4/19/02." According to witnesses, the airplane had been flying around the area low level for about 45 minutes, when it struck power lines, about 70 feet above a lake, and then fell into the water. The crash site was located about 2 to 3 miles southeast of the Troy airport. According to witnesses at the scene the airplane was found lying inverted at the east end of the lake, in about 6 to 8 feet of water. The airplane was only partly submerged with the nose on the bottom of the lake. A witness jumped into the lake and rescued the pilot from the submerged wreckage. There were no reports of any mechanical problems before the airplane struck the power lines. There were no reported obstructions due to weather, and the reported visibility about the time of the accident was 10 statute miles. Toxicological tests were conducted on specimens obtained from the pilot during admission to the hospital by the federal aviation administration, research laboratory, Oklahoma city, Oklahoma. The tests were negative for ethanol in serum, and positive for lidocaine in serum.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON APRIL 19, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1804 CDST, A EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT, AIR CAM, N912S, CRASHED AFTER FLYING ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE TROY AIRPORT LOCATED IN TROY ALABAMA. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FLYING UNEVENTFUL FOR AROUND 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO STRIKING A POWERLINE AND CRASHING INTO A SMALL POND LOCATED IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. ^PRIVACY DATA OM^ PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER POWER ONCE IT STRUCK THE POWER LINE AND APPEARED NOT TO BE IN ANY DISTRESS. THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO THE PIKE COUNTY HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS LATER TRANSFERRED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM HOSPITAL LOCATED IN BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA. ON APRIL 30, 2002, MR. ROUSH WAS CONTACTED BY THIS OFFICE FOR A STATEMENT PERTAINING TO THE ACCIDENT. MR. ROUSH STATED THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING BEFORE OR AFTER THE ACCIDENT BUT WOULD MAIL A STATEMENT TO THIS OFFICE IF HE REGAINED ANY MEMORY. (.19) ON APRIL 19, 2002, ABOUT 1804 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A LETT R/CAMPBELL K. AIRCAM HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE, N912S, REGISTERED TO PIKE AVIATION INC., STRUCK POWER LINES AND IMPACTED IN A LAKE WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR TROY, ALABAMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. NO FLIGHT PLAN W AS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT-RATED PILOT REPORTED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED FROM THE TROY AIRPORT, ABOUT 1730. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLYING AROUND THE AREA LOW LEVEL FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES, WHEN IT STRUCK POWER LINES, ABOUT 70 FEET ABOVE A LAKE, THEN FELL INTO THE WATER. THE CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. A WITNESS JUMPED INTO THE LAKE AND RESCUED THE PILOT FROM THE SUBMERGED WRECKAGE. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF ANY ENGINE PROBLEMS BEFORE THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE POWER LINES. (.4) ON APRIL 19, 2002, ABOUT 1804 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A LETT R/CAMPBELL K. AIRCAM HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE, N912S, REGISTERED TO PIKE AVIATION INC., AND OPERATED BY AN INDIVIDUAL, STRUCK POWER LINES, AND IMPACTED IN A LAKE WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR TROY, ALABAMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT-RATED PILOT REPORTED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED FROM THE TROY AIRPORT, ABOUT 171 5. THE PILOT STATED IN A LETTER THAT, "I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF THE ACCIDENT NOR ANY OTHER INCIDENTS WHICH OCCURRED ON 4/19/02." ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLYING AROUND THE AREA LOW LEVEL FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES, WHEN IT STRUCK POWER LINES, ABOUT 70 FEET ABOVE A LAKE, AND THEN FELL INTO THE WATER. THE CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 2 TO 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE TROY AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES AT THE SCENE THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND LYING INVERTED AT THE EAST END OF THE LAKE, IN ABOUT 6 TO 8 FEET OF WATER. THE AIRPLANE WAS ONLY PARTLY SUBMERGED WITH THE NOSE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE. A WITNESS JUMPED INTO THE LAKE AND RESCUED THE PILOT FROM THE SUBMERGED WRECKAGE. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS BEFORE THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE POWER LINES. THERE WERE NO REPORTED OBSTRUCTIONS DUE TO WEATHER, AND THE REPORTED VISIBILITY ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 10 STATUTE MILES. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS WERE CONDUCTED ON SPECIMENS OBTAINED FROM THE PILOT DURING ADMISSION TO THE HOSPITAL BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, RESEARCH LABORATORY, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. THE TESTS WERE NEGATIVE FOR ETHANOL IN SERUM, AND POSITIVE FOR LIDOCAINE IN SERUM.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.