20111216028879A

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED PLYMOUTH AIRPORT (PMZ), PLYMOUTH, NORTH CAROLINA ON THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 16, 2011. SOME TIME LATER, HIS AIRCRAFT CRASHED LANDED IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO HIS HOME NEAR MERRY HILL, NORTH CAROLINA . THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE CRASH WAS ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.ON DECEMBER 16, 2011, ACCORDING TO SOME EYE WITNESS STATEMENTS', AN AIRCRAFT WAS APPROACHING A FIELD AT MERRY HILL NORTH CAROLINA. ONE WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE HAD QUIT RUNNING, THE PROPELLER OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT MOVING AND THE PLANE WAS TRYING TO LAND IN THE FIELD. ANOTHER WITNESS SAID THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING VERY FAST AND TRYING TO LAND IN THE OPEN FIELD (THE OPEN FIELD WAS ADJACENT TO THE PILOT'S HOUSE).THE FAA FSDO EA-39 WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ACCIDENT AROUND 2:00 PM ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. PERSONNEL FROM THE OFFICE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACH THE ACCIDENT SITE UNTIL AFTER DARK SO IT WAS DECIDED TO ARRIVE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE THE NEXT DAY, SATURDAY DECEMBER 17, 2011. INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT SIGHT REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT HIT NOSE FIRST AT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT WITH THE ENGINE ABSORBING THE MAJORITY OF THE IMPACT. GROUND MARKINGS AND THE DAMAGED AIRCRAFT ENGINE INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND AT AN APPROXIMATE 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND BOTH WINGS LEFT AN INDENTATION IN THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND ONCE, BOUNCED, FLIPPED OVER AND LANDED IN AN INVERTED POSITION 20 FEET FROM THE FIRST IMPACT.THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS FUEL STARVATION. THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE WAS IN THE LEFT POSITION. THE LEFT FUEL TANK DID NOT CONTAIN ANY FUEL. THE RIGHT TANK DID NOT CONTAIN ANY FUEL IN IT EITHER. HOWEVER THE RIGHT TANK COULD HAVE HAD SOME AMOUNT OF FUEL IN IT PRIOR TO THE CRASH THAT LEAKED OUT OF THE TANK AFTER BEING IN THE INVERTED POSITION. THIS IS SPECULATION DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE TO THE WEEDS AND GRASS UNDER THE RIGHT WING DUE TO SOME TYPE OF CHEMICAL REACTION PRESUMABLY CAUSED BY FUEL. THERE WAS NOT ANY DAMAGE TO THE WEEDS AND GRASS UNDER THE LEFT WING.THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPARENTLY SET UP FOR A LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT'S ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WAS IN THE "ON" POSITION, THE MIXTURE CONTROL KNOB WAS IN THE FULL RICH POSITION, THE CARBURETOR HEAT KNOB WAS IN THE "ON" POSITION AND THE AIRCRAFT FLAPS WERE IN THE FULL DOWN POSITION. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TRANSPORTED BY AIR TO THE PITT-GREENVILLE HOSPITAL WHERE HE REMAINS IN VERY CRITICAL CONDITION. ACCORDING TO HOSPITAL STAFF, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ "WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE FOR WEEKS POSSIBLY MONTHS"ON DECEMBER 29, 2011 AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. KNAPP BRABBLE, MANAGER OF PLYMOUTH'S AIRPORT WAS CONDUCTED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRCRAFT WAS BASED IN PLYMOUTH. MR. BRABBLE WAS TOLD BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THAT HE HAD PERSONALLY REPLACED BOTH FUEL TANK SUMP DRAINS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO SELL THE AIRCRAFT AND DURING THE SALE MOVE THE AIRCRAFT TO A LANDING STRIP NEAR HIS HOUSE.ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS MADE BY PERSONS TO MR. BRABBLE CONCERNING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HEALTH, HE HAD BROKEN BOTH FEET, LEGS, ARMS AND HAS VERY SERIOUS INTERNAL INJURIES. THESE STATEMENTS ALSO INCLUDED THE COMMENT THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS IN A MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA AND MAY NOT SURVIVE.