CHI05LA125

The amateur-built airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot sustained fatal injuries during an in-flight collision with terrain. The owner of the airstrip reported that he knew the accident pilot and waved at him during a pass over the airstrip prior to the accident. He stated that the accident pilot had landed at his airstrip in the past and he assumed that the pilot was approaching to land at that time. He noted that he lost sight of the aircraft behind a tree line. He stated that shortly afterward he looked down the runway and saw the wreckage. He did not see the accident sequence. The accident site was located in an agricultural field approximately one-quarter mile east of the runway. A post-accident inspection did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a pre-impact failure. Flight control continuity was confirmed from each control surface to the cockpit area.

On May 24, 2005, about 1720 central daylight time, an amateur-built Hurley Searey, N60667, piloted by a student pilot, was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain approximately one-quarter mile east of a private airstrip (2,000 feet by 75 feet, turf) in South Beloit, Illinois. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was reportedly based at the pilot's private airstrip near Rockton, Illinois.

The owner of the private airstrip in South Beloit reported that he knew the accident pilot and waved at him during a pass over the airstrip prior to the accident. He stated that the accident pilot had landed at his airstrip in the past and he assumed that the pilot was approaching to land at that time. He noted that he lost sight the of aircraft behind a tree line. He stated that shortly afterward he looked down the runway and saw the wreckage. He did not see the accident sequence.

The accident site was located in an agricultural field approximately one-quarter mile east of the runway. The aircraft came to rest inverted on a northerly heading. A post-accident inspection did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a pre-impact failure. Flight control continuity was confirmed from each control surface to the cockpit area.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records indicated that the accident pilot was issued a third-class medical certificate on July 6, 2000. The accident pilot held a expired student pilot certificate issued on April 3, 1998. The pilot reported his total flight time as 150 hours on his most recent medical certificate application. He indicated no flight time within the six months preceding the application. The pilot's flight logbook was not located.

FAA aircraft records indicated that the accident pilot submitted a registration application for the accident aircraft dated June 3, 2000. According to the FAA, an application for an airworthiness certificate was never submitted nor was an airworthiness certificate ever issued for the aircraft. Aircraft maintenance logbooks were not located.

Surface winds recorded by the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport (JVL) Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS), located approximately 10 nautical miles north of the accident site, at 1745, were from 030 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots.

An autopsy of the pilot was performed at the Winnebago County coroner's facility in Rockford, Illinois, on May 25, 2005. The FAA Civil Aero Medical Institute toxicology report was negative for all testing performed.