WPR22FA254

On the day of the accident, witnesses saw the airplane depart from the runway and enter a near-vertical climb before the airplane’s nose dropped and began a right turn. The airplane remained in a nose-low, near-vertical descent until it impacted a grass field off the end of the runway. Several witnesses had previously watched the pilot take off and perform various aerobatic maneuvers similar to the accident flight. Toxicological tests detected a level of ethanol known to cause some level of impairment. The test results were also consistent with the pilot having consumed alcohol near the time of the flight. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot’s impairment contributed to the loss of control as the pilot performed an aerobatic maneuver on takeoff.

On July 16, 2022, about 1153 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built RV-7, N283S, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Topeka, Kansas. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A witness reported that he had spoken to the pilot earlier in the day, who said he was going to fly to another airport for fuel. The witness stated it was normal to see the pilot perform maneuvers when he departed, such as a wing over, then over fly the runway before departing the area. The witness observed the airplane depart and enter a near-vertical climb. The airplane’s nose dropped with a turn to the right and entered a nose-low, near-vertical descent until the airplane impacted terrain near the departure end of the runway. Other witnesses reported that the airplane attained an altitude of about 150-200 ft above ground level before the nose dropped. A local resident reported that he did not observe the accident flight; however, he routinely observed the accident airplane perform various aerobatic maneuvers, such as inverted flight over the airport, spins, and barrel rolls. It was common to see the accident airplane take off, climb in a near-vertical attitude, then turn toward the ground and overfly the airport. The Shawnee County Coroner's Office, Topeka, Kansas, performed an autopsy of the pilot. The pilot's cause of death was multiple blunt impact injuries. Toxicology testing performed by the Federal Aviation Administration Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol in the pilot’s cavity blood at 0.069 gm/dL, vitreous fluid at 0.077gm/dL, gastric contents at 0.390 gm/dL, liver tissue at 0.026 grams per hectogram (gm/hg) 2, kidney tissue at 0.067 gm/hg, and muscle tissue at 0.083 gm/hg; results were inconclusive for ethanol in brain tissue. Ethanol is a social drug commonly consumed by drinking beer, wine, or liquor. Ethanol acts as a central nervous system depressant; it impairs judgment, psychomotor functioning, and vigilance. Title 14 CFR Section 91.17 (a) states, in part, that no person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft (1) Within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage; (2) While under the influence of alcohol; (3) While using any drug that affects the person's faculties in any way contrary to safety; or (4) while having an alcohol concentration of 0.040 gm/dL or greater in a blood or breath specimen. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane came to rest upright after it impacted an open grass field about 375 ft southwest of the departure end of runway 19. The wreckage came to rest on a heading of about 340° magnetic. No visible ground scars were observed in the area near the wreckage. All major structural components of the airplane were located at the accident location. Figure 1: View of the accident site diagram. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpitto all primary flight controls. Numerous separations were noted within the flight control system with signatures consistent with overload separation or due to the recovery process. Postaccident examination of the recovered airframe and engine did not reveal evidence of any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.