20240630010269A

ON 6/30/2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:52 PM CDT, A SINGLE ENGINE WACO MODEL YKC WAS DESTROYED AFTER IMPACTING THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SELDEN, KS AND CONSUMED BY A POST-CRASH FIRE. TWO SOULS WERE ON BOARD AT TIME OF ACCIDENT AND BOTH WERE FATALLY INJURED. BETWEEN 7/01/2024 AND 7/03/2024, AN AIRWORTHINESS IIC FROM THE WICHITA FSDO CONDUCTED AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. PARTIES TO THE INVESTIGATION INCLUDED LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF RADIAL ENGINES LTD. THE TERRAIN WAS COMPRISED OF AN OPEN FIELD AND THE AIRCRAFT FIRST IMPACTED THE EARTH IN A DEPRESSION APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET BELOW GROUND LEVEL. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS CONSISTENT WITH BOTH THE RIGHT HAND UPPER AND LOWER WINGTIPS MAKING FIRST CONTACT WITH THE TERRAIN AT AN APPROXIMATE 90-DEGREE ANGLE RELATIVE TO THE HORIZON AND IN A SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING. BOTH RIGHT- AND LEFT-HAND WINGTIP BOWS WERE ENTRENCHED APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT DEEP IN THE TERRAIN, AND SECONDARY RIGHT WING CONTACT GROUND SCARS WERE CONSISTENT WITH A RIGHT BANKING TURN AT TIME OF ACCIDENT. THE PARTIALLY INTACT POWERPLANT AND PROPELLER ASSEMBLIES WERE DISCOVERED ABOUT 22 FEET FROM INITIAL IMPACT POINT ENTRENCHED IN THE GROUND AND ORIENTED TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST, INDICATIVE OF THE AIRCRAFT ROLLING ABOUT ITS LATERAL AXIS. THE #1 PROPELLER WAS BROKEN FROM THE HUB AT THE BLADE ROOT AND RESTING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE #2 PROPELLER BLADE AND HUB. THE LOWER COCKPIT STRUCTURE WAS FOUND CONSIDERABLY COMPRESSED AND POSITIONED ABOUT 16 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE POWERPLANT AND PROPELLER ASSEMBLIES. THE AIRCRAFT’S EMPENNAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 7 FEET SOUTHEAST FROM THE COCKPIT STRUCTURE AND POSITIONED FACING DOWN WITH ELEVATOR AND TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY UP. BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT UPPER AND LOWER WING ASSEMBLIES WERE LOCATED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER APPROXIMATELY 69 FEET FROM INITIAL IMPACT POINT. BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS WERE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 46 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT AND DISPLAYED SIGNS OF POST-IMPACT EXPANSION AND RUPTURE. THE LEFT AND RIGHT COCKPIT SEATBACKS WERE DETACHED FROM THE SEAT PANS IN THE COCKPIT AND LOCATED 125 FEET AND 157 FEET (RESPECTIVELY) FROM INITIAL IMPACT POINT. THE DEBRIS FIELD SPANNED AN APPROXIMATE 526 FEET LONG AND 78 FEET WIDE. PITCH, ROLL AND YAW FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WERE ESTABLISHED WITH NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED. THE RADIAL ENGINES LTD REPRESENTATIVE ESTABLISHED CONTINUITY AND IDENTIFIED ALL MAJOR ENGINE COMPONENTS AND CONTROLS AND DID NOT NOTE ANY IRREGULARITIES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF POST-ACCIDENT DAMAGE. AIRCRAFT, ENGINE AND PROPELLOR MAINTENANCE LOG ENTRIES AS WELL AS ORIGINAL AIRCRAFT BUILD PHOTOGRAPHS WERE FURNISHED BY THE MECHANIC WHO WAS IDENTIFIED AS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MOST RECENT MAINTENANCE CONDUCTED ON THE AIRCRAFT. THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION FOR THE AIRCRAFT, ENGINE AND PROPELLER WERE COMPLIED WITH ON 08/28/2023 WITH NO ITEMS DOCUMENTED AS UNAIRWORTHY AND THE INSPECTIONS APPROPRIATELY RECORDED IAW 14 CFR PART 43. THE WICHITA FSDO RECEIVED TELEPHONE TEXT SCREENSHOTS BETWEEN THE OBERLIN, KS AIRPORT (KOIN) MANAGER AND THE PASSENGER OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN 9:39 AM AND 5:16 PM CDT ON 6/30/2024. THE PASSENGER’S TEXTS INDICATED THE PILOT WAS FLYING EAST-TO-WEST AND INTENDED TO LAND AT THE OBERLIN AIRPORT IN THE EARLY EVENING. TEXT EVIDENCE ALSO INDICATED THE PILOT LANDED AT THE PHILIPSBURG, KS AIRPORT FOR A BRIEF PERIOD BETWEEN 4 AND 5 PM DUE TO WEATHER CONCERNS NEAR OBERLIN AIRPORT AT THE TIME. THE LAST TEXT FROM THE PASSENGER’S PHONE WAS RECEIVED AT 5:16 PM AND SUGGESTED THE PILOT WAS GOING TO DEVIATE TO THE SOUTH TO “GET OUT OF THIS STUFF.” A LANDOWNER WHO LIVES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE ACCIDENT SITE RECALLED THAT THE WEATHER AT TIME OF ACCIDENT WAS ABOUT “¼ MILE VISIBILITY WITH A CEILING OF APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS.” THE WITNESS ALSO STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT “BUZZED HIS HOUSE GOING NORTH, THEN LATER BUZZED HIS HOUSE GOING SOUTH, LOW AND LOUD.”