LAX03LA192

The amateur-built experimental airplane collided with terrain following a loss of control while attempting to land. As the airplane approached the displaced threshold, about 15-20 feet above ground level, it began to level off. The left wing dropped, and the airplane began to make a turn to the left. The bank continued and the airplane headed straight down. The airplane's nose impacted the ground at a 90-degree angle and was engulfed in flames. The pilot was working on a problem with his right fuel tank, and the purpose of the flight was to burn fuel from the right tank in an effort to empty it. Each tank was capable of holding about 80 gallons. The kit manufacturer stated that the airplane was not designed to fly with an imbalance of weight in the fuel tanks. He said that the airplane would be adversely affected if such an imbalance occurred, and that the airplane would not be maneuverable if one tank was full and the other empty. All flight manuals and written materials provided by the kit manufacture do not clearly state the lateral fuel imbalance limitations or prohibit flight with that condition.

History of flight

On June 11, 2003, about 1045 central daylight time, an amateur-built experimental Argus Aviation CA-7, N9043L, collided with terrain following a loss of control while attempting to land at Brazoria County Airport (LBX), Angleton, Texas. LTC Associated, Inc., owned and operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airline transport pilot/builder, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed in the collision sequence and post crash fire. The personal local flight departed LBX about 0900. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed.

In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC), a witness, who is the Director of Aviation at LBX, and a pilot, reported that the airplane was attempting to perform a long landing on runway 17. As it approached the displaced threshold, about 15-20 feet above ground level, it began to level off. The left wing dropped, and the airplane began to make a turn to the left. The bank continued and the airplane headed straight down. The airplane's nose impacted the ground at a 90-degree angle and bounced into the air. The airplane's first impact point was about 40-50 feet west of the centerline, just off the runway. The main wreckage came to rest about 100 hundred feet west of the first initial impact point. After impact, the airplane was engulfed in flames, with the left wing incurring most of the fire damage.

The witness reported that he thought that the pilot had flown the accident airplane several hours earlier that morning. After landing, the pilot worked on the airplane and then took off again for the accident flight. He flew for about 1 hour 45 minutes before attempting to land. The witness thought that the pilot was working on a problem with his right fuel tank. He believed that the purpose of both flights was to burn fuel from the right tank in an effort to empty the tank so the pilot could work on it further.

In a telephone conversation with the IIC, a representative from the kit manufacturer stated that the pilot/builder had added several fuel bays to each tank, making a total of seven bays in each wing. With the additional bays, the airplane was capable of holding about 80 gallons of fuel per wing. He noted that the airplane was not designed to fly with a weight imbalance in the fuel tanks. He said that the airplane would be adversely affected if such an imbalance occurred and that the airplane would not be maneuverable if one tank was full and the other empty.

The kit manufacturer provides a special notice regarding semi flushed fuel caps. It states that uneven fuel flow cannot be tolerated, and advises, that if such an event should occur, the pilot should land immediately and address the problem. No specific prohibition concerning lateral fuel imbalance is listed (at the time of the accident) in the written materials provided by the kit manufacturer. In a special note concerning the fuel line shutoffs, the manufacturer further states, "the only fuel system we recommend is shutoff on each fuel tank clearly visible and accessible to the pilot's reach." It continues by describing the engine start procedure as "fuel on," where the "fuel remains on continuously until shutdown, at which time all fuel valves are closed."

Personnel information

A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records revealed that the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multiengine land rating. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on March 04, 2002, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported the pilot to have accumulated a total of 4,600 hours of flight time, 181 of which were in the same make and model as the accident airplane.

Medical and pathological information

The County of Galveston Medical Examiner's Office completed an autopsy. The FAA Toxicology and Accident Research Laboratory performed toxicological testing of specimens of the pilot. The results of the toxicological tests were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and volatiles.