CEN22LA321

The pilot and student pilot-rated passenger departed to conduct low-level flight operations over and on a river in a remote area. After not hearing from either occupant, family members initiated a search and found the wreckage several hours later. The airplane came to rest on a remote island in the river, nose-down with the empennage in a near-vertical position. The leading edge of both wings exhibited aft accordion crush damage and the engine was pushed aft into the cabin of the airplane. Postaccident examination of the wreckage found that the damage to the propeller was consistent with no or low power at the time of the accident. The right fuel tank was breached with no fuel present. The left fuel tank was intact, and a small amount of a white liquid was found inside the tank. The auxiliary fuel tank in the cabin was intact and a small amount of clear blue liquid was found inside the tank. No fuel samples were obtained from the engine and no fuel was recovered during the removal of the airplane from the accident site. The amount of fuel onboard the airplane at the time of departure could not be determined. An examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. It could not be determined if there was a loss of engine power or not. The position of the wreckage when it was located and the uniform crush damage to both wings is consistent with the airplane encountering an aerodynamic stall before it impacted the ground. It is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack at an altitude too low to recover which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain. Toxicology testing detected the potentially sedating antihistamine, cetirizine, in the pilot’s system, but based on the drug’s low level in the pilot’s heart blood, it is unlikely to have caused significant psychomotor effects. Ethanol was detected at low levels in some specimens and not detected in others from the passenger; a postmortem ethanol source was likely, and ethanol likely did not contribute to the crash.

The airplane’s maintenance records (including the most recent weight and balance record), and recent fuel records were not available for review. The amount of fuel onboard the airplane when it departed could not be determined. According to the airframe manufacturer, the Just Highlander is a short takeoff and landing (STOL) airplane. The airframe manufacturer also classifies the airplane as a bush airplane. The airplane was equipped with tundra tires that facilitate off-airport landings and takeoffs. The airplane was equipped with vortex generators on both wings and the empennage. A stall warning system was not observed on the leading edge of the wings, nor was one required by regulation. On July 17, 2022, about 2000 central daylight time, an experimental Just Highlander, N7514N, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Bennington, Oklahoma. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the family members of the two occupants, the purpose of the local area flight was to conduct low-level flight operations over and on the Red River. The Red River, mainly located in rural areas, flows from the west to the east and separates Oklahoma and Texas. The airplane departed from Jones Field Airport (F00), Bonham, Texas, around 1927. The pilot was seated in the left seat and the passenger, who was a student pilot, was seated in the right seat. The passenger texted a family member at 1928 that the airplane was airborne. The expected return time back to F00 was undetermined. After not hearing from either occupant, concerned family members initiated a search and found the wreckage around 0200 on July 18, 2022. The airplane came to rest on a remote island in the Red River, nose-down with the empennage in a near-vertical position. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. According to a family member, the accident likely occurred between 1930 and 2030, as the two occupants would not likely fly in night conditions. There were no known witnesses to the accident. A search did not reveal any flight track data for the accident flight. Pilot Toxicology testing performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was negative for ethanol and tested-for drugs in the pilot’s femoral blood. Toxicology testing performed by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected the potentially sedating antihistamine medication cetirizine in the pilot’s heart blood at 12 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) and urine at 278 ng/mL. The allergy medication fexofenadine, its metabolite azacyclonol, and the high blood pressure medication losartan were detected in his heart blood and urine; these substances are generally considered non-impairing. Passenger Toxicology testing performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was negative for ethanol and tested-for drugs in the passenger’s femoral blood. Toxicology testingperformed by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol in the passenger’s heart blood at 0.019 grams per deciliter (g/dL) and liver tissue at 0.010 grams per hectogram (g/hg), but not in his brain tissue. Ethanol is the intoxicating alcohol in beer, wine, and liquor, but alcohol consumption is not the only possible source of ethanol in postmortem specimens; ethanol can be produced by microbes in the body after death. N-propanol, another alcohol which can be produced by microbes after death, was detected in the passenger’s heart blood. A review of astronomical data showed that, on the day of the accident, sunset was at 2035. The estimated density altitude for the closest meteorological reporting station was 3,245 ft mean sea level. The wreckage was recovered from the accident site on August 6, 2022. During the recovery operation, no fuel was recovered from the airplane. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit controls to the corresponding control surface. The flap position at the time of impact was not determined. The leading edge of both wings exhibited aft accordion crush damage and the engine was pushed aft into the cabin of the airplane. The right fuel tank was found breached with no fuel present. The left fuel tank remained intact, and a small amount of an unknown white liquid was found inside the tank. The auxiliary fuel tank in the cabin was intact and a small amount of clear blue liquid was found inside the tank. The fuel tank selector was not observed in the wreckage. Airframe to engine control continuity was established. Rotational continuity was established throughout the engine and valvetrain when the crankshaft was rotated. No fuel samples were recovered from the engine. The hub for the three-blade, composite propeller was found intact and was connected to the crankshaft flange. Blade 1 was found separated near the hub and the remains were not observed. Blade 2 was found intact with no chordwise scratching observed. Blade 3 was found separated about midspan with no chordwise scratching observed. There were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.