CEN13LA034

A witness observed the airplane flying low over a field and reported that the occupants smiled and waved to him. The witness, who was driving a tractor, estimated that the airplane’s airspeed was about 40 mph, which was near the airplane’s reported stall speed. The witness observed the airplane maneuver over power lines before it descended to the terrain. A postimpact fire ensued and consumed most of the fuselage and left wing. At the time of the accident, wind was reported as gusty. An examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact anomalies which would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The airplane’s maneuver over power lines at a slow speed in gusty wind conditions is consistent with an aerodynamic stall; however, the airplane’s low altitude did not allow for a stall recovery.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 28, 2012, about 1710 central daylight time, Hornet experimental light sport airplane (E-LSA), N2482J, impacted a rice field near Mont Belvieu, Texas. The private pilot and passenger were both fatally injured. The airplane was substantially damaged and a post impact fire ensued. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, that operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated from Baytown, Texas, at an unknown time. According to a witness interviewed by the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, the airplane flew low across a field. The airplane passed overhead and he could see the occupants’ faces as they smiled and waved. The witness was driving a tractor, and estimated the airplane’s speed about 40 miles per hour. The airplane flew south towards power lines, climbed to avoid them, and began a turn. The airplane was about 100 feet above the ground before it descended in a nose down attitude towards the terrain. The witness reported gusty wind at the time of the accident. A post impact fire consumed a majority of the fuselage and left wing. An examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact anomalies with the airplane. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 52, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine-land. The pilot was issued a third class medical certificate on August 31, 2011, with the restriction that he must have glasses available for near vision. On his medical certificate application, the pilot reported accumulating 378 hours of total time, with 150 hours in the preceding six months. The pilots log book was not located during the course of the investigation. The pilot purchased the airplane on October 17, 2012, and his flight experience in the make and model could not be determined. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was manufactured in 2000, by US Light Aircraft Corporation. The airplane’s airworthiness certificate was issued in October, 2007, in the E-LSA category. The Hornet is a single engine, high wing, tandem two-seat, fixed gear airplane. It was powered by a 65-horsepower Hirch 2706 engine configured in a pusher configuration which drove a four-blade composite propeller. Pilots report the Hornet’s stall speed between 35 and 40 mph. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 1650, an automated weather reporting facility located at Ellington Field (KEFD), Houston, Texas, located about 18.5 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, reported wind from 330 degrees at 11 knots, 10 miles visibility, a clear sky, temperature 66 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 32 F, and a barometric pressure of 30.14 inches of mercury. An amateur weather reporting station near the accident site (KTXMONTB1) reported wind from the northwest at 2 miles per hour (mph) gusting to 11 mph. This isconsistent with the witness’s statement. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION An autopsy was conducted on the pilot by Forensic Medical Management Services, Beaumont, Texas, as authorized by the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4, Chambers County, Texas. The autopsy ruled the cause of death as blunt force injuries and the manner of death an accident. Forensic toxicology was conducted on specimens from the pilot by the FAA Bioaeronautical Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The toxicology were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or drugs.