20220714012319A

ON THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2022, AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED INVOLVING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A FLIGHTSTAR II SC MODEL AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL LIGHT SPORT CATEGORY. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED NEAR THE TOWN OF RUSSELL, IN WARREN COUNTY PA WITH THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT SITE AT APPROXIMATE COORDINATES OF 41 DEGREES, 56 MINUTES AND 5 SECONDS NORTH; -79 DEGREES, 7 MINUTES AND 51 SECONDS WEST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED BY WITNESSES AS TAKING OFF FROM A PRIVATE SOD RUNWAY (SHIELD FARM AIRPORT 5PA6) AND SUBSEQUENTLY STRIKING TREES AND IMPACTING THE AKELEY RUN STREAM BED. THE PILOT SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES AND WAS FLOWN BY HELICOPTER TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE PASSENGER WAS TREATED AND RELEASED AT THE SCENE WITH MINOR INJURIES. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE SITE WAS CONDUCTED BY INSPECTORS FROM THE ALLEGHENY FLIGHT STANDARDS OFFICE IN PITTSBURGH PA. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE NOTED: THE AIRCRAFT HAD IMPACTED THE STREAM BED AND CAME TO REST ON IT'S LEFT SIDE. FIRST RESPONDERS AT THE SCENE HAD RIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT ON IT'S LANDING GEAR TO EXTRICATE THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER. THE LEFT WING WAS PARTIALLY COLLAPSED AND CRUSHED AGAINST THE LEFT SIDE FUSELAGE. THE RIGHT WING WAS INTACT EXCEPT FOR A FEW RANDOM PUNCTURES IN THE FABRIC COVERING. THE FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE AFT OF THE COCKPIT AREA EXHIBITED MINOR DAMAGE. THE COMPOSITE COCKPIT ENCLOSURE WAS BUCKLED AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CENTER PORTION WAS BOWED FORWARD AND HAD BECOME DETACHED FROM IT'S MOUNTS. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FOR THE RUDDER, ELEVATOR AND RIGHT AILERON. THE LEFT AILERON HAD BEEN CRUSHED, BUT THE CONTROL CABLES WERE STILL ATTACHED. THE TRANSLUCENT FUEL TANK WAS OBSERVED TO BE 1/3 FULL AND DID NOT APPEAR TO CONTAIN ANY WATER. THE COMPOSITE PROPELLER HAD STRUCK TREES AND POSSIBLY OTHER OBJECTS UNDER POWER. ONE BLADE WAS COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE HUB, THE REMAINING TWO WERE FRACTURED TO VARYING DEGREES; ONE BLADE HAD APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES OF BLADE ROOT REMAINING AND THE OTHER BLADE THE SAME, BUT STILL HAD THE BACK SHELL LOOSELY ATTACHED. THE DRY SUMP OIL RESERVOIR WAS FILLED WITH OIL. THE SPIN-ON OIL FILTER WAS REMOVED AND EXAMINED, BUT CONTAINED NO METAL CONTAMINANTS. THE RIGHT CARBURETOR HAD BECOME DETACHED FROM THE RIGHT INTAKE MANIFOLD ON THE ENGINE, AND THE AIR FILTER WAS DISTORTED FROM IMPACT. THE THROTTLE CONTROL CROSS SHAFT IN THE COCKPIT WAS DEFORMED FROM IMPACT, AND COULD ONLY BE FORCED TO MOVE WITH GREAT EFFORT, BUT THROTTLE CABLE CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FROM THE CONTROL TO EACH CARBURETOR. BOTH CARBURETOR LINKAGES OPERATED SMOOTHLY. BOTH CARBURETORS WERE OBSERVED TO HAVE FUEL IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FLOAT CHAMBERS. THE CAPACITIVE DISCHARGE IGNITION SYSTEM DID NOT APPEAR TO BE DAMAGED, AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE ENGINE MOUNTED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. BATTERY VOLTAGE WAS CHECKED BUT THE INDICATION WAS INCONCLUSIVE, AS IT READ MUCH HIGHER THAN 12 VOLTS. THE UPPER AND LOWER SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED FROM BOTH CYLINDERS. THE LEFT CYLINDER COMBUSTION CHAMBER CONTAINED FUEL AND THE LEFT SPARK PLUGS WERE FUEL WETTED, BUT OTHERWISE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN OPERATING NORMALLY. THE RIGHT CYLINDER SPARK PLUGS BOTH APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN OPERATING NORMALLY. (IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE LEFT CYLINDER FILLED WITH FUEL FROM THE LEFT CARBURETOR WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS LYING ON IT'S LEFT SIDE.) ONE PLUG WAS REINSTALLED IN EACH CYLINDER AND THUMB COMPRESSION WAS ACHIEVED. ENGINE CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED THROUGH 720 DEGREES WITH NO BINDING. THE EMERGENCY LOCATER TRANSMITTER (ELT) WAS NOTED AS BEING MISSING. THE MOUNTING TRAY BUCKLE WAS UNDONE AND THE ANTENNA CONNECTION WAS DISCONNECTED. THE ELT WAS NOT FOUND AT THE SCENE. THE PAX WAS ASKED WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE FLIGHT ON THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2022. THE PAX STATED THAT THE PIC HAD PLANNED SOME "BUNNY HOPS" (HIGH SPEED TAXI'S) ON THE SOD RUNWAY, BUT THAT HE WAS PREPARED TO CONTINUE INTO THE AIR IF NECESSARY. THE PAX STATED THAT THEY HAD DONE A PREVIOUS "BUNNY HOP" FLIGHT A FEW DAYS BEFORE AND THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF SUCCESSFULLY.