Sunday, September 30, 2012

Keuthan BUCCANEER II, N710WP: Fatal accident occurred September 30, 2012 in Granite Quarry, North Carolina

National Transportation Safety Board - Aviation Accident Final Report

NTSB Identification: ERA12LA584
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, September 30, 2012 in Granite Quarry, NC
Probable Cause Approval Date: 01/13/2014
Aircraft: KEUTHAN BUCCANEER II, registration: N710WP
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot added about 5 gallons of automotive gasoline to the airplane’s fuel tank before departing on a local flight. Witnesses reported that they observed the airplane flying at a low altitude and that the engine then lost power. The airplane struck power lines and crashed in an open field. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. An examination of the airplane’s fuel lines revealed only a small amount of residual fuel. The fuel tank contained only residual fuel and was not breached.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On September 30, 2012, about 1755 eastern daylight time, a Keuthan Buccaneer II, N710WP, was substantially damaged following a forced landing near Granite Quarry, North Carolina. The private pilot was fatally injured. The experimental, amateur-built, amphibious airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated at Rowan County Airport (RUQ), Salisbury, North Carolina, about 1655.

A witness, who was also the pilot’s flight instructor, observed the pilot refuel the airplane with 5 gallons of automotive gasoline about one hour prior to the accident. Subsequently, other witnesses observed the engine lose power at low altitude. They observed or heard the airplane descend and crash in a rural field about 4 1/2 miles from RUQ.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and airplane single-engine sea. He reported a total flight experience of 500 hours on his latest airman certificate application for his airplane single-engine sea rating, dated August 18, 2012. At that time he reported 445 hours as pilot-in-command.

The pilot’s personal logbook was not located following the accident.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was a single-engine, high-wing, amphibious airplane, serial number 1. It was powered by a Rotax 582 DCDI engine rated at 65 horsepower. The airframe and engine logbooks were not recovered following the accident.

According to the manufacturer’s performance charts, the fuel consumption range was about 2.1 gallons per hour (at 3,000 rpm) to 6.1 gallons per hour (at 6,800 rpm). According to the aircraft weight and balance data, the aircraft fuel capacity was about 10 gallons.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The 1755 surface weather observation for RUQ included clear skies, wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles or greater, temperature 20 degrees C, dew point 12 degrees C, and altimeter 29.87 inches of mercury.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

Federal Aviation Administration inspectors responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. The airplane crashed at the edge of an open field, about 4 1/2 miles from RUQ. The accident site coordinates were 35 37.05N, 080 26.63W. Evidence of electrical arcing was observed on the left wing leading edge. Power lines located about 20 yards from the main wreckage showed evidence of impact damage.

The inspector confirmed substantial damage to the airframe. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit controls to the ailerons, elevator, and rudder. The airplane was equipped with a recovery parachute and showed evidence of partial deployment.

The plastic main fuel tank contained only residual fuel and was not damaged or leaking. Air bubbles were observed in the plastic fuel line from the fuel tank to the engine. There was no fuel in the line to the engine carburetors. A lack of fuel in the fuel line prevented the inspector from obtaining a fuel sample. There was no evidence of leaking fuel around wreckage.

The engine propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange. The blades showed no evidence of rotational damage or tip curling. The engine turned freely by hand and internal continuity was confirmed.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot at the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The autopsy report noted the cause of death as “blunt force trauma of the head and chest due to an ultra light plane crash.”

Forensic toxicology testing was performed on specimens of the pilot by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CAMI toxicology report indicated no carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or drugs.


NTSB Identification: ERA12LA584 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, September 30, 2012 in Granite Quarry, NC
Aircraft: KEUTHAN BUCCANEER II, registration: N710WP
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On September 30, 2012, about 1755 eastern daylight time, a Keuthan Buccaneer II, N710WP, was substantially damaged following a forced landing near Granite Quarry, North Carolina. The private pilot was fatally injured. The experimental, amateur-built, amphibious airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated at Rowan County Airport (RUQ), Salisbury, North Carolina, about 1655.

A witness observed the pilot refuel the airplane with automotive gasoline and depart RUQ about one hour prior to the accident. Witnesses observed the engine lose power and the airplane descended and crashed in a rural area about five miles from RUQ.

Federal Aviation Administration inspectors responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. The inspector confirmed substantial damage to the airframe. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the control surfaces to the cockpit. The engine propeller did not exhibit evidence of rotational damage. The main fuel tank was not breached and contained only residual fuel. Air bubbles were observed in the transparent fuel lines. There was no fuel in the line to the engine carburetors.





Cecil 'Dwayne' Brown

FAITH - Cecil "Dwayne" Brown, 49, of Faith, passed away Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012.

Dwayne was born Aug. 11, 1963, in Rowan County, the son of Cecil Voight Brown and Betty "Faye" Martin Brown of Faith.

Dwayne was a 1982 graduate of East Rowan High School and a graduate of the HVAC program at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

Dwayne was a lifelong member of Shiloh Reformed Church of Faith, where he was a member of the Bell Choir and the Christians in Action Sunday School Class.

He was a member of the Rowan County Chapter of the EAA and active in the Young Eagles organization. Dwayne was owner and operator of Central Piedmont Heating and Air of Salisbury.

He had a passion for flying and boating and loved sharing those experiences with family and friends.

In addition to his parents, survivors are brother Darrin Scott Brown and wife Sharon of Salisbury; nephews Chase and Will Brown; niece Devynne Brown; special twins Natalie and Alayna Day; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

Visitation: 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 at Shiloh Reformed Church in the Fire Place Lobby.

Funeral Services: 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 at Shiloh Reformed Church, conducted by Rev. Wayne Trexler, pastor. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Shiloh Reformed Church, Po Box 308, Faith, NC 28041.

Powles Funeral Home of Rockwell is serving the Brown family. Online condolences may be made to the Brown family at www.powlesfuneralhome.com




GRANITE QUARRY, N.C. – FAA investigators are looking for the cause of a Rowan County plane crash.

According to the Rowan County Sheriff's Office, Cecil Dwayne Brown, 49, of Faith, was killed Sunday when his Ultra-Light Experimental plane crashed in a Granite Quarry field. The accident happened around 6 p.m. in a wooded area on Troutman Street behind Shaw's Mobile Home Park.

Monday, relatives were at the crash site to pay their respects.

"If he has to be gone, you know I want to remember him for all the good things he did you know, he loved people, he loved to fly," said Brown's uncle Eddie Martin. 

Martin said his nephew built the plane himself.

"He went down to Florida and brought it up here, it was you know, in two pieces or whatever and he rebuilt the plane," said Martin. 

Martin said Brown had been flying small planes for a decade or more, and had even flown the plane before. However on a clear Sunday, relatives say Brown caught power lines crashing on family-owned property.

"The plane sputtered and all and he engine just cut off and he just couldn't clear the power lines," said Martin.

An FAA investigation into the cause could take up to a year. But for Brown's family, they said its an unfortunate accident that happened to a man doing what he loved most.

Brown's body was taken to Chapel Hill Sunday for an autopsy.

ROWAN COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - 

One man has died after his plane crashed near Granite Quarry Sunday evening, according to emergency officials.
 
According to the Rowan County Sheriff's Office, 49-year-old Cecil Dwayne Brown, of Faith, was killed when his plane went down.

The plane, described by witnesses as a yellow experimental type "sea plane" crashed in a wooded area near Shaw's Mobile Home Park, off Old Stone House Road shortly after 6 pm Sunday night.

A witness told WBTV that she saw a plane fitting that description flying near High Rock Lake earlier on Sunday.

Jonathan Stephens and Robert Price describe hearing the engine stutter then a loud boom. The power to the area was knocked out.

It appears the plane may have hit power lines before going down. The pair say they came outside to see the plane's cockpit nearly snapped in two.

Emergency personnel who reached the scene, located a ultra light, experimental aircraft that was occupied by one pilot. There were no other victims of this crash, officials told WBTV.

The Granite Quarry Fire Department and Union Fire Department responded along with units from the Rowan County Sheriff's Office, Granite Quarry Police Department,  NC State Highway Patrol, Rowan EMS, and Rowan County Rescue Squad.

Brown's body was transported to Chapel Hill for an autopsy to be conducted

Family member were notified on Sunday evening, by the NC State Highway Patrol.

FAA Investigators are scheduled to be at the crash site Monday morning to conduct their investigation. 


GRANITE QUARRY - A small experimental plane crashed near Old Stone Church Road Sunday night, killing one man. 

 Authorities said an Ultralight aircraft went down in a field close to Shaw's Mobile Home Park just before 6 p.m.

Frank Thomason, chief of emergency services in Rowan County, said the pilot was the only person on board.

Authorities did not release information about the pilot Sunday night, citing pending notification of the family.

Investigators said the next of kin was out of town Sunday night.

Some neighbors in the area said they saw the plane go down into a field after it appeared to have engine problems.

Danny Gilmore, a resident in the area, said he saw it hit the ground near his home.

"I saw it go over and then it just went down when the motor cut off," he said. "It's a very sad thing."

Other neighbors said the plane appeared to stall out shortly before impact.

Thomason said the plane departed from Rowan County Airport shortly before the crash Sunday evening.

The pilot was believed to have been heading to a location near High Rock Lake, Thomason said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were also notified.

FAA and NTSB investigators are expected to arrive at the scene Monday morning, Thomason said.

Crews quickly wrapped the scene in yellow caution tape and neighbors stood on their porches or near the crash site Sunday evening.

Rowan investigators and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol assisted in the preliminary investigation.

Crews initially secured the scene for fires or leaking fluid.

"The plane is pretty much intact," Thomason said.

Authorities removed the body less than two hours after the crash.

Emergency personnel from about 10 fire, police and EMS departments assisted Sunday night.

Power lines were also down near the crash site and many neighbors said they knew something happened when their power went out.

A neighbor, who identified herself as Rita, said she knew something was wrong when her children playing outside came running in.

"We heard a loud bang, twice," she said. "The power went off, but we didn't see it.


Read more:  

http://charlotte.news14.com

http://www.wcnc.com

 http://myfox8.com

 http://www.wbtv.com

 http://www.salisburypost.com


ROWAN COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - One man has died in a plane crash off Troutman Street in Granite Quarry, according to emergency officials. 

 The plane, described by witnesses as a yellow experimental type "sea plane" crashed in a wooded area near a mobile home park shortly after 6 pm Sunday night.  A witness told WBTV that she saw a plane fitting that description flying near High Rock Lake earlier on Sunday.

Jonathan Stephens and Robert Price describe hearing the engine stutter then a loud boom. The power to the area was knocked out. It appears the plane may have hit power lines before going down. The pair say they came outside to see the plane's cockpit nearly snapped in two.

The name of the victim has not been released.

According to a release by the Rowan County Sheriff's Office, "The FAA was notified and will respond on Monday morning to conduct their investigation of the crash.  Law enforcement units will maintain a presence at the crash scene until FAA Investigators arrive.  The victim was transported from the scene and will be sent for an autopsy.  The NC Highway Patrol will make notifications to family members of the pilot."

 

SALISBURY, NC -- Investigators are on the scene of a fatal plane crash near OldStone House Road in Salisbury. According to Rowan County Sheriff's Department, several calls came in around 5:56 p.m. on Sunday in regards to a small plane that crashed in the area. We are told the victim is a white male who's name is not being released until an autopsy is performed.

Emergency Management Crews, fire officials, and highway patrol officers are on the scene. At this time, one person is confirmed deceased. There is no word yet on any other injuries. Old Stone House Road is near American Quarry Road.

The FAA was notified and will respond on Monday morning to conduct their investigation of the crash.








ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. -- Authorities remain on the scene of a deadly plane crash in Rowan County. 

Officials say the plane crashed on Old Stone House Road in the area of Troutman Street in Salisbury just outside of Granite Quarry.

According to officials, the call came in from several witnesses saying a plane went down around 6 p.m. Sunday evening.

"It was awfully close to the treetops, and then his engine cut off," said Tanner Hardwood, who witnessed the accident.

Officials tell WCNC, it appears that an experimental plane was involved in the crash.

At least one person is confirmed dead. No word yet on the identity of the pilot.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now investigating the crash.


GRANITE QUARRY, N.C. – One person is dead after a plane crash Sunday in Rowan County. 

It happened around 6 p.m. in a wooded area on Troutman Street in Granite Quarry. The pilot's identity has not been released. Officials say he was the only person on board.

They confirm the plane departed from the Rowan County Airport and was headed to the High Rock Lake area.

Nearby residents say the plane was having some sort of mechanical issues and was circling above their homes before the engine just stopped.

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