20121027023989A

THE PILOT, THE LONE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, STARTED THE ENGINE OF N97RP AND TAXIED (EAST TO WEST) ACROSS THE VACANT FIELD ADJACENT TO AND WEST OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO DO HIS PREFLIGHT CHECKS. HE PLANNED TO TAKEOFF TO THE NORTH. HE DID HIS PREFLIGHT CHECKS IN THE SOUTH WEST CORNER OF THE FIELD. FOLLOWING HIS CHECKS, HE STARTED TO TAXI TOWARDS HIS TAKEOFF POINT. HE DECIDED, AT THIS TIME, THAT HE WOULD DO A ROLLING TURN FROM HIS CURRENT POSITION (TAXIING EASTBOUND) TO THE NORTH FOR THE TAKEOFF, A 90-DEGREE TURN. HE STARTED HIS TURN AS THE TAIL CAME UP. HE COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES OF THE NEEDED 90 DEGREES FOR THE PLANNED NORTHBOUND TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT, AT THIS POINT, WAS AIRBORNE. THE PILOT SAW THAT HE WAS HEADED STRAIGHT FOR PARKED CARS AND A HOUSE ADJACENT TO AND EAST OF THE TAKEOFF FIELD. HE NOTED A GAP BETWEEN TWO TREES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BACKYARD OF THE HOUSE AND DECIDED TO TRY AND EITHER CLIMB ABOVE THE TREES OR GO THROUGH THE GAP. HE APPLIED FULL FLAPS, BANKED RIGHT TOWARD THE TREES AND REPORTED THAT HE HAD A FORWARD AIRSPEED OF 20 MPH, A CLIMB RATE OF 800 FPM AND A "SOLID STICK" (AIRCRAFT FLYING, UNDER CONTROL). THIS FLIGHT PATH TOOK HIM OVER 20-30 PEOPLE ATTENDING A REUNION IN THE BACKYARD. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT PASSED OVER THEM AT AN ALTITUDE OF 15-20 FEET. WHEN HE REACHED THE TWO TREES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BACKYARD, THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED A 45-FOOT TREE AT AN APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF 35 FEET. THE IMPACT WITH THE TREE CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SWERVE SOUTHWARD AND NOSE DOWN. THE PILOT BANKED LEFT SO THAT THE WING, RATHER THAN THE FUSELAGE, WOULD TAKE THE INITIAL FORCE OF THE IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT, BASED ON WITNESS STATEMENTS, AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT WITH THE TREE, CONTINUED EASTBOUND BETWEEN THE IMPACT TREE AND AN ADJACENT TREE TO THE NORTH AND TURNED TO THE SOUTH. ONCE PAST THE TREES, THE AIRCRAFT BANKED TO THE LEFT AND THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO AND EAST OF THE BACKYARD. THE PILOT WAS WEARING A 4-POINT HARNESS. AFTER THE IMPACT, HE BROKE OUT THE SKYLIGHT WHICH WAS CRACKED, UNDID HIS HARNESS, STOOD UP AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE ONLY FUEL LEAKAGE WAS FROM THE SEVERED FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE WING TANKS. HE BENT THE SEVERED LINE TO STOP THE FUEL LEAKAGE, SHUT OFF THE FUEL AND TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH. THE PILOT'S INJURIES INCLUDED A BROKEN COLLAR BONE, FOUR BROKEN RIBS, A PUNCTURED LUNG AND NUMEROUS BRUISES.THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE WRECKAGE WAS ORIENTED EAST/WEST WITH THE NOSE POINTED IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION, SOUTHEAST OF THE IMPACT TREE. THE IMPACT MARKS AND GENERAL AIRFRAME DISTORTION SHOW THAT THE LEFT WING TIP IMPACTED FIRST, WITH THE SPAR LEAVING A DEEP GOUGE IN THE GROUND (80 FEET FROM THE BASE OF THE IMPACT TREE). THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST WITH THE WINGS APPROXIMATELY 60-75 DEGREES OUT OF HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT, LEFT WING BACK. THE PROPELLER LEFT TWO GOUGES IN THE GROUND (96 FEET FROM THE BASE OF THE IMPACT TREE) BEFORE ONE PROPELLER BLADE BROKE OFF, BURYING ITSELF IN THE GROUND BENEATH THE PROP HUB. THESE INDICATIONS, ALONG WITH WITNESS STATEMENTS, INDICATE THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER AT IMPACT. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. NO FLIGHT CONTROLS HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. FLAPS WERE FOUND TO BE FULLY DOWN AND NOSE TRIM WAS SET FOR FULL NOSE DOWN. A CHECK OF THE FUEL TANKS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT SINCE THE INTEGRITY OF THE FUEL TANKS WAS NOT COMPROMISED BY THE ACCIDENT. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION CORROBORATED THE PILOT'S STATEMENT THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT OR THE ENGINE DURING THE BRIEF FLIGHT AND ENSUING CRASH SEQUENCE. IT ALSO CORROBORATED THE WITNESS' AND PILOT'S STATEMENTS REGARDING THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS SURROUNDING THE TAKEOFF, CLIMB AND SUBSEQUENT CRASH WTH THE EXCEPTION OF THE WITNESS' REFERENCES TO WIND GUSTS.