NYC97LA026

The student pilot was maneuvering at less than 500 feet above the ground when he initiated a right turn. Witnesses reported the airplane suddenly banked to the left and descended, striking the roof of a store. Examination of the airplane confirmed fuel in the tanks and flight control continuity. No evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction was found with the airplane or engine. The student pilot's log book was not recovered, and his recent experience was not determined.

On December 8, 1996, about 1250 eastern standard time, an experimental, home built, Parker Mustang, N7009S, was destroyed when it struck a building while maneuvering overhead of Port Norris, New Jersey. The student pilot (SP) was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal transportation flight which originated at Summit Airpark, Middletown, Delaware, about 1100. No flight plan had been filed for the flight which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to a report from the New Jersey State Police, the normal procedure for the pilot was to circle his brother's house, after which visual contact would be established between the two. The pilot would then proceed onto Millville Airport, Millville, New Jersey, while his brother would drive to the airport and pick him up.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, on the accident flight, the airplane was observed to circle the brother's house a few times, at an altitude estimated to be less than 500 feet. The SP then initiated a right turn, and during the turn, the airplane abruptly banked to the left, descended in a nose low attitude, and impacted the roof of a local grocery store. The roof collapsed, and the airplane came to rest partially inside of the building.

Examination of the airplane by an FAA Inspector revealed that fuel was present in both wing tanks, and continuity of the flight controls was verified.

The pilot's student pilot certificate and pilot log book were not located, and the SP's endorsements to operate the accident airplane could not be verified.

According to FAA records, the airplane was registered to the SP in November, 1992. The SP's most recent FAA Airman Medical examination was completed in May, 1995, at which time the SP stated that he had 100 hours of total flight time.

An autopsy was conducted by Elliot M. Gross, M.D, Inter-County Medical Examiner for Cape May and Cumberland Counties on December 9, 1996.

Toxicological testing by the State of New Jersey revealed carboxyhemoglobin at less than 2 % saturation, and trimethoprim at 6.0 mcg/ml.

Toxicological testing by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed trimethoprim at unspecified levels in the blood and urine, and acetaminophen in the urine at 26.8 ug/ml.