20020430009439A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr TIERRA2 · Hooker, OK · April 30, 2002

Date
April 30, 2002 · 21:00 local
Place
Hooker, OK
Airport
Private
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N3960D
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW02LA134
Reported as
Amtr TIERRA2
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
1,695 total

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) Roger fischer, the son of the pilot had seen his father around 8:00 to 8:3O the evening of 04/30/02 at his hangar. At around 10:00 his mother asked if his father was at the hangar. Knowing Mr. Allen fischer now was missing the family started looking for him. Mr. Fischer was found at 11:10 the evening of 04/30/02. A family member stated that she heard the aircraft around 9:00 east of their house, that is east of the accident site. (.19) on April 30, 2002, at 2130 central daylight time, a Robinson tierra ii experimental airplane, N3960D, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Hooker, Oklahoma. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. The Private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The local flight originated from a Private grass airstrip located in Hooker at 1900. According to initial reports, the airplane was flying on a westerly heading toward the airstrip. The airstrip has one runway that is oriented 18-36, and is approximately 500 feet long. Witnesses reported that the left wing of the airplane dropped, the airplane entered a descent, and then impacted the ground. The accident was located 1,000 yards east of the approach end of runway 18. (.4) on April 30, 2002, approximately 2130 central daylight time, a Robinson tierra ii experimental airplane, N3960D, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Hooker, Oklahoma. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. The Private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The local flight originated from a Private grass airstrip located in Hooker. According to a family member, the pilot departed from the airstrip approximately 2030. A witness reported that approximately 2100 he heard the airplane maneuvering in an area east of the accident site. At 2200, family members became worried when the pilot had not returned and a search was initiated. At 2310, the airplane was located by local authorities 1,000 yards east of the approach end of runway 18 in a field. There were no reported witnesses to the accident. An FAA inspector examined the airplane at the accident site. Ground scars and wreckage distribution revealed that the airplane was traveling on a westerly heading; however, the airplane came to rest upright on an easterly heading. The nose of the airplane was crushed aft. The first components along the energy path were sections of the left wing strut. The entire wing structure was twisted, and the left wing leading edge spar was separated into three sections. The 2 cylinder Rotax engine remained attached to the airframe, and the wooden propeller blades were splintered. A minimum of five gallons of fuel was observed in the fuel tank. The FAA inspector did not discover any pre-impact anomalies with the airplane. The airplane's maintenance logbooks were not located. The pilot was issued a Private pilot certificate on December 15, 1976. The pilot's flight logbook was not located; however, the pilot reported on his last FAA medical application, dated September 5, 2001, that he had accumulated a total of 1,695 hours of which 38 were in the last 6 months. The pilot held a valid third class medical certificate that was dated September 5, 2001, and stipulated a limitation for corrective lenses. At 2053, the weather observation facility at the guymon municipal airport, guymon, Oklahoma, (located 15 miles southwest of the accident site) reported clear skies, visibility 10 miles, wind from 220 degrees at 14 knots, temperature 81 degrees fahrenheit, dew point 22 degrees fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 29.53 inches of mercury. An autopsy was performed by cimarron pathology, p.a. of liberal, Kansas. A toxicological report from the faa's civil aeromedical institute of Oklahoma city, Oklahoma, was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs. The report revealed 176 (mg/dl, mg/hg) methanol detected in vitreous; however, the samples that were used for testing were received from the pilot's partially embalmed body.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ROGER FISCHER, THE SON OF THE PILOT HAD SEEN HIS FATHER AROUND 8:00 TO 8:3O THE EVENING OF 04/30/02 AT HIS HANGAR. AT AROUND 10:00 HIS MOTHER ASKED IF HIS FATHER WAS AT THE HANGAR. KNOWING MR. ALLEN FISCHER NOW WAS MISSING THE FAMILY STARTED LOOKING FOR HIM. MR. FISCHER WAS FOUND AT 11:10 THE EVENING OF 04/30/02. A FAMILY MEMBER STATED THAT SHE HEARD THE AIRCRAFT AROUND 9:00 EAST OF THEIR HOUSE, THAT IS EAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. (.19) ON APRIL 30, 2002, AT 2130 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINSON TIERRA II EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, N3960D, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR HOOKER, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP LOCATED IN HOOKER AT 1900. ACCORDING TO INITIAL REPORTS, THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING ON A WESTERLY HEADING TOWARD THE AIRSTRIP. THE AIRSTRIP HAS ONE RUNWAY THAT IS ORIENTED 18-36, AND IS APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET LONG. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRPLANE DROPPED, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A DESCENT, AND THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE ACCIDENT WAS LOCATED 1,000 YARDS EAST OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 18. (.4) ON APRIL 30, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 2130 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINSON TIERRA II EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, N3960D, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR HOOKER, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP LOCATED IN HOOKER. ACCORDING TO A FAMILY MEMBER, THE PILOT DEPARTED FROM THE AIRSTRIP APPROXIMATELY 2030. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT APPROXIMATELY 2100 HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE MANEUVERING IN AN AREA EAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. AT 2200, FAMILY MEMBERS BECAME WORRIED WHEN THE PILOT HAD NOT RETURNED AND A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. AT 2310, THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES 1,000 YARDS EAST OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 18 IN A FIELD. THERE WERE NO REPORTED WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. GROUND SCARS AND WRECKAGE DISTRIBUTION REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS TRAVELING ON A WESTERLY HEADING; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT ON AN EASTERLY HEADING. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS CRUSHED AFT. THE FIRST COMPONENTS ALONG THE ENERGY PATH WERE SECTIONS OF THE LEFT WING STRUT. THE ENTIRE WING STRUCTURE WAS TWISTED, AND THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE SPAR WAS SEPARATED INTO THREE SECTIONS. THE 2 CYLINDER ROTAX ENGINE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME, AND THE WOODEN PROPELLER BLADES WERE SPLINTERED. A MINIMUM OF FIVE GALLONS OF FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN THE FUEL TANK. THE FAA INSPECTOR DID NOT DISCOVER ANY PRE-IMPACT ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE'S MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS WERE NOT LOCATED. THE PILOT WAS ISSUED A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE ON DECEMBER 15, 1976. THE PILOT'S FLIGHT LOGBOOK WAS NOT LOCATED; HOWEVER, THE PILOT REPORTED ON HIS LAST FAA MEDICAL APPLICATION, DATED SEPTEMBER 5, 2001, THAT HE HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 1,695 HOURS OF WHICH 38 WERE IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. THE PILOT HELD A VALID THIRD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE THAT WAS DATED SEPTEMBER 5, 2001, AND STIPULATED A LIMITATION FOR CORRECTIVE LENSES. AT 2053, THE WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY AT THE GUYMON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, GUYMON, OKLAHOMA, (LOCATED 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE) REPORTED CLEAR SKIES, VISIBILITY 10 MILES, WIND FROM 220 DEGREES AT 14 KNOTS, TEMPERATURE 81 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, DEW POINT 22 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.53 INCHES OF MERCURY. AN AUTOPSY WAS PERFORMED BY CIMARRON PATHOLOGY, P.A. OF LIBERAL, KANSAS. A TOXICOLOGICAL REPORT FROM THE FAA'S CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INSTITUTE OF OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, WAS NEGATIVE FOR CARBON MONOXIDE, CYANIDE, ETHANOL, AND DRUGS. THE REPORT REVEALED 176 (MG/DL, MG/HG) METHANOL DETECTED IN VITREOUS; HOWEVER, THE SAMPLES THAT WERE USED FOR TESTING WERE RECEIVED FROM THE PILOT'S PARTIALLY EMBALMED BODY.

NTSB investigation

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