20030701020689A

(-23) INSPECTORS STATEMENT: ACCIDENT #FTW03LA200; DATE OF OCCURRENCE: JULY 1, 2003; DATE OF ONSITE INVESTIGATION: JULY 1, 2003. AIRCRAFT DATA: MAKE/MODEL ARONCA 7AC; REGISTRATION N84426; SERIAL NUMBER 7AC-3123; REGISTERED OWNER VIGGIANO, LOUIS JR.; AIRCRAFT TOTAL TIME 2945; MFG DATE 1946; ON JULY 1, 2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 1010 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AERONCA MODEL 7AC, OPERATED BY THE AIRCRAFT OWNER IMPACTED TREES AND THE GROUND WHILE MANEUVERING OVER A WILD ANIMAL ORPHANAGE APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES WEST OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER DEPARTED THE SAN GERONIMO AIRPORT FOR LOCAL SIGHT SEEING AND WERE AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES. THE 68 YEAR OLD MALE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES WHILE THE 14 YEAR OLD MALE REAR SEAT PASSENGER SUFFERED A BROKEN HEEL ALONG WITH SCRAPES AND BRUISES. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED IN A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION WITH THE NOSE DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DUE TO IMPACT WITH TREES AND THE GROUND. THE LACK OF DAMAGE TO THE SURROUNDING TREES SUGGESTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE TOP OF THE TREES IN A NEARLY VERTICAL ATTITUDE. ON SITE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE FUSELAGE (MAIN) FUEL TANK RUPTURED ON IMPACT. THE MAIN FUEL SUPPLY LINE WAS ALSO BROKEN WHERE THE ON/OFF VALVE ATTACHES TO THE MAIN FUEL TANK. THE MAIN TANK DID NOT CONTAIN ANY FUEL. THE AUX FUEL TANK, LOCATED IN THE LEFT WING, WAS NEARLY FULL OF FUEL. THE AUX TANK FUEL VALVE WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. THE MAIN FUEL TANK VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION; HOWEVER, THE ON/OFF VALVE CONTROL LINKAGE WAS BROKEN AT THE UNIVERSAL JOINT WHERE THE CONTROL CONNECTS TO THE VALVE. THE IMPACT SEQUENCE MAY HAVE CAUSED THE CONTROL LINKAGE TO REPOSITION THE VALVE BEFORE BREAKING THE LINKAGE. MAGNETO SWITCH - BOTH; ALTIMETER - 1530 FT, 3021; THROTTLE - CLOSED; CARBURETOR HEAT - OFF; PRIMER - IN AND LOCKED; ELEVATOR TRIM CONTROL - FULL NOSE UP. HOWEVER, THE TRIM TAB COULD BE REPOSITIONED BY APPLYING HARD PRESSURE TO THE TAB THUS REPOSITIONING THE COCKPIT CONTROL. FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM CONTINUITY AND ELEVATOR TRIM CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED. TWO EMPLOYEES OF THE WILD ANIMAL ORPHANAGE HEARD AND OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING VERY LOW OVER THE TREES JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE EYEWITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS BARELY OVER THE TREETOPS AND THE ENGINE WAS SPUTTERING THEN CUT OUT. WITHIN 5 TO 10 SECONDS THEY HEARD A LOUD THUD. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT'S WIFE, SHE STATED THAT HER HUSBAND TOLD HER THE ACCIDENT WAS HIS FAULT BECAUSE HE STALLED THE AIRCRAFT. HOWEVER, DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT AT THE HOSPITAL ON JULY 3, 2003, HE WOULD NOT ADMIT TO THE STALL EVEN AFTER HIS WIFE REMINDED HIM OF WHAT HE PREVIOUSLY TOLD HER. INSTEAD, HE STATED THAT HE COULD NOT KEEP THE NOSE UP AND HAD A SINKING FEELING. WHEN ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT HE STATED NO. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE AND HIS PASSENGER DEPARTED THE SAN GERONIMO AIRPORT WITH THE AUX FUEL TANK FULL AND THE MAIN TANK BETWEEN 1/2 AND 3/4 FULL AND WERE FLYING AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 500 TO 800 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. A DETAILED INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CONDUCTED ON JULY 24, 2003 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CONTINUITY OF THE THROTTLE AND CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROLS WAS VERIFIED. LEFT MAGNETO TIMING 26 DEG BTDC, RIGHT MAGNETO TIMING 28 DEG BTDC. DATA PLATE SPECIFICATION IS 30 DEG BTDC. HOWEVER, BOTH MAGNETO-MOUNTING FLANGES WERE DAMAGED PRESUMABLY FROM IMPACT. COLD CYLINDER COMPRESSION: #1 42 PSI, #2 37 PSI, #3 54 PSI, AND #4 56 PSI. PISTON RING LEAKAGE CONTRIBUTED TO THESE LOW READINGS. VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY APPEARED NORMAL. SPARK PLUGS APPEARED NORMAL. EACH MAGNETO WAS CHECKED FOR SPARK AND IMPULSE COUPLING OPERATION. THE INDUCTION SYSTEM APPEARED NORMAL AND FREE OF OBSTRUCTIONS. THE CARBURETOR HOUSING WAS CRACKED, PRESUMABLY FROM IMPACT DAMAGE. DISASSEMBLY OF THE CARBURETOR DID NOT REVEAL ANY OBVIOUS DEFECTS. GASCOLATOR CONTAINED FUEL WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF UNKNOWN PARTICLES. NO AIRFRAME OR ENGINE DISCREPANCIES WERE IDENTIFIED THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO LOSS OF CONTROL OR ENGINE STOPPAGE. CONCLUSION: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^