Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Sonex, N198PC: Accident occurred October 16, 2012 in Crossville, Tennessee

National Transportation Safety Board - Aviation Accident Final Report: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf 

Docket And Docket Items  -  National Transportation Safety Board:   http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

National Transportation Safety Board  -  Aviation Accident Data Summary:   http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

NTSB Identification: ERA13LA024
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, October 16, 2012 in Crossville, TN
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/04/2013
Aircraft: CASHMER PHILIP M SONEX, registration: N198PC
Injuries: 2 Serious.

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

Three days before the accident, a witness heard the airplane’s engine stop while the airplane was taxiing for departure and then restart before the airplane departed uneventfully. On the morning of the accident flight, another witness heard the airplane attempting to depart from the accident airport. During the departure, the engine power reduced suddenly while the airplane was at an altitude of about 15 feet. The airplane then continued to fly at that altitude until reaching the midpoint of the runway, before the engine power again increased, and the airplane began an abrupt climb. Shortly thereafter, another witness reported seeing the airplane in a spin just before it impacted the ground beyond the departure end of the runway.

Postaccident examination of the airplane showed damage signatures consistent with the airplane being in a left-turning aerodynamic stall/spin at impact. Additionally, a witness report, the condition of the cockpit canopy, and the postaccident position of the pilot’s restraints suggested that the pilot was likely not wearing the restraints at impact. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any obvious mechanical deficiencies. A definitive determination of the engine’s operational state at impact could not be established based on available evidence; however, the manufacturer of the airplane kit advised pilots to discontinue a takeoff if there were any signs of abnormal engine operation and to investigate the cause before attempting another takeoff.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane, which resulted in a low-altitude aerodynamic stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was a loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination and the pilot’s decision to depart with a known deficiency. Contributing to the pilot’s injuries was his failure to use the installed restraint system.


On October 16, 2012, about 0820 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Sonex, N198PC, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Crossville Memorial Airport (CSV), Crossville, Tennessee. The certificated private pilot/owner and the passenger were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which was presumed to be destined for Winter Haven’s Gilbert Airport (GIF), Winter Haven, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to personnel from a fixed based operator (FBO) located at Martin Campbell Field (1A3), Copperhill, Tennessee, the pilot and passenger arrived in the accident airplane at their facility on October 12. The pilot stated that they were enroute to a fly-in event at CSV, but had to divert to 1A3 due to deteriorating weather conditions. The following morning, the FBO personnel watched as the pilot taxied the airplane for departure and noted that as the airplane approached the runway, the engine “stopped.” The personnel listened as the pilot then re-started the engine, back-taxied down the runway, and departed without further incident.

On the morning of the accident flight, a pilot-rated witness observed as the accident airplane attempted to depart from runway 26 at CSV. The witness stated that he heard the airplane’s engine increase in power, and then heard a sudden reduction of power that caused him to turn his attention toward the airplane. He then observed the airplane about 1,000 feet from the approach end of the runway at an altitude of about 15 feet. The airplane continued to fly at that altitude until about the mid-field point, when the engine power again increased and the airplane “climbed abruptly,” before disappearing from view. The witness walked further out on the flight line in an attempt to regain sight of the airplane, but was advised by other individuals on the airport that the airplane had crashed near the departure end of runway 26, outside of the airport perimeter fence.

Another witness, who was driving on a road adjacent to the airport, observed the accident airplane in a tail-low attitude before it began to “spin around” about 2 or 3 times. The airplane then impacted the ground, and the witness stopped to contact local authorities and render assistance. Another witness who stopped to render assistance noted that the pilot had been partially ejected from the cockpit, and did not appear to have been wearing any restraints.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the wreckage following the accident. According to the inspector, the airplane impacted terrain beyond the departure end of the runway, in a ravine. The left and right wing roots displayed compression buckling at their aft and forward fuselage connection points, respectively. The outboard leading edge of the left wing leading edge displayed aft crush damage. The propeller was fragmented consistent with ground contact. The fuselage remained intact, with the majority of the damage concentrated within the area of the engine and firewall. A hole approximately 12 inches in diameter was broken through top of the overhead cockpit canopy. The left side of the left seat restraint was found tucked inside a side wall pocket.

Continuity of the engine valvetrain and powertrain were confirmed, and rotation of the engine utilizing the starter showed no binding or other faults. Operation of the ignition system to the bottom spark plugs was confirmed, though operation of the top spark plugs could not be confirmed as the required engine speed could not be attained. The spark plugs appeared to be in new condition. Examination of the fuel system showed that fuel was available to the engine, with no anomalies noted.

An electronic flight instrument system was recovered from the airplane and forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for further examination. Power was applied to the intact unit; however, no data were present as the data recording feature had not been enabled.

A review of maintenance records revealed that the pilot was also the builder of the experimental amateur-built, kit airplane, which was completed in June 2011. Between that time and October 4, 2012, when the most recent airframe log entry was made, the airplane had accumulated 60 hours of flight time. The airplane’s most recent condition inspection was completed by the pilot in June 2012, at 59 total flight hours.

Airman records retained by the FAA showed that the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land, as well as a repairman experimental aircraft builder certificate for the accident airplane. The pilot’s most recent third-class medical certificate was issued in August 2011, and at that time the pilot reported 525 total hours of flight experience. No further records of the pilot’s flight experience were available for review; however, all of the flight hours recorded in the airframe maintenance log were recorded by the pilot.

Crossville Memorial Airport was comprised of a single asphalt runway oriented in an 8/26 configuration. The runway was 5,418 feet long by 100 feet wide. The weather conditions reported at CSV, at 0853, included clear skies, calm winds, temperature 11 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 8 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.04 inches of mercury. Consultation of a carburetor icing probability chart published by the FAA showed that the possibility of serious icing at cruise power settings, and also fell within the range specified for icing in pressure-type carburetors.

According to the kit manufacturer’s flight manual, takeoff procedure, “It is important to check full-throttle engine operations early in the take-off run. If there are any signs of rough engine operation or sluggish engine acceleration, discontinue the take-off. Investigate the cause of the poor engine operation before attempting another take-off.”


 NTSB Identification: ERA13LA024 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, October 16, 2012 in Crossville, TN
Aircraft: CASHMER PHILIP M SONEX, registration: N198PC
Injuries: 2 Serious.

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 October 16, 2012, about 0820 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Sonex, N198PC, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Crossville Memorial Airport (CSV), Crossville, Tennessee. The certificated private pilot and the passenger were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to personnel from a fixed based operator (FBO) located at Martin Campbell Field (1A3), Copperhill, Tennessee, the pilot and the passenger arrived in the accident airplane at their facility on October 12. The pilot stated that they were enroute to a fly-in event at CSV, but had to divert to 1A3 due to deteriorating weather conditions. The following morning, the FBO personnel watched as the pilot taxied the airplane for departure and noted that as the airplane approached the runway, the engine “stopped.” The personnel listened as the pilot then re-started the engine, back-taxied down the runway, and departed without further incident.

On the morning of the accident flight, a pilot-rated witness observed as the accident airplane attempted to depart from runway 26 at CSV. The witness stated that he heard the airplane’s engine increase in power, and then heard a sudden reduction of power that caused him to turn his attention toward the airplane. He then observed the airplane about 1,000 feet from the approach end of the runway at an altitude of about 15 feet. The airplane continued to fly at that altitude until about the mid-field point, when the engine power again increased and the airplane “climbed abruptly,” before disappearing from view. The witness walked further out on the flight line in an attempt to regain sight of the airplane, but was advised by other individuals on the airport that the airplane had crashed near the departure end of runway 26, outside of the airport perimeter fence.

Another witness, who was driving on a road adjacent to the airport, observed the accident airplane in a tail-low attitude before it began to “spin around” about 2 or 3 times. The airplane then impacted the ground, and the witness stopped to contact local authorities and render assistance.

http://www.americansonexassociation.org/events/index.html

http://www.sonexaircraft.com/news/images/Cashmer_1101_1.jpg

http://registry.faa.gov/N198PC

http://www.sonexaircraft.com/news/images/Cashmer_1101_3.jpg

http://www.sonexaircraft.com/news/newsarchive99.html

 
"Had he been any less of a pilot he would have died in that hill," said Davis.

 The plane was removed by a crane later in the afternoon.










Story, photos and comments:  http://www.wate.com


CROSSVILLE (WATE) - A small plane crashed Tuesday morning in Cumberland County.  Director Keith Garrison of the Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency told 6 News a small, experimental plane crashed at the Crossville Memorial Airport around 9:40 a.m. EST, 8:40 a.m. CST.  The 20-foot plane just missed power lines and a nearby wooded area.

"They had just taken off from the runway when this happened and luckily they landed in this grassy area," said Crossville Fire Chief Mike Turner.  The airport is located on Highway 70 between Crossville and Sparta.    Husband and wife Phillip and Marian Cashmer, both 72, of Winter Haven, Florida were injured and were airlifted to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga.

The couple was reported to be in critical condition at the hospital on Tuesday afternoon.  A friend and fellow experimental plane pilot said the Cashmers survived because of the pilot's quick thinking.  "Had he been any less of a pilot he would have died in that hill, but he landed it flat which is the key to surviving a plane crash," said John Davis of the American Sonex Association.

Davis was with the Cashmers this weekend at the ninth annual American Sonex Association's Fly In at the Crossville airport. 

He said they had just finished building the plane this summer, and this was the first year they were able to show it off at the Fly In.

"You have to fly 40 hours off before you can leave the 25 mile-radius of your home base. He had finished that and made all the appropriate log book entries and he and Marian flew up here," said Davis.

Davis has a Sonex plane and said the planes are built like tanks. He doesn't understand how this could happen.

"Why, why, why?" asked Davis. "I want to get my hands on that plane to see what happened to Phil."



The airport was closed to deal with the incident, but has since been reopened.


The FAA said an experimental amateur-built aircraft crashed on takeoff from runway 26 at the Crossville Airport Tuesday morning. 

While the plane may have been an amateur-built aircraft, Crossville Fire Chief Mike Turner said they are fairly common, and are airworthy.   Turner said a husband and wife from Winterhaven, Florida were on board the plane.  They were both flown to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga.  He did not have their names or current conditions.

Investigators do not know yet why the couple were in Crossville, or what caused the plane to crash.  The FAA will be at the airport this afternoon to determine what happened.  The airport was shut down for about an hour after the crash, but it is now back open.

Previous story

A spokesperson with Crossville EMS tells 10News two people who were on board a plane that crashed at the Crossville Airport are being transported by Lifestar and Lifeforce to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga.

Few other details are being released at this time.

According to authorities, the crash happened around 8:30 a.m. central time.

Previous story

Crossville emergency crews are responding to a plane crash at Crossville Memorial Airport-Whitson Field.

Few details are being released at this time but both the Crossville Police and Fire Departments say it happened around 8:30 a.m. central time.   


CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities are investigating a small plane crash in Cumberland County that injured two people, one of two plane wrecks in Tennessee on the same day.

Emergency Management Director Keith Garrison told The Associated Press that the experimental plane crashed during takeoff Tuesday morning at Crossville Memorial Airport.

Officials said a male and a female involved in the crash were airlifted to Erlanger Medic
al Center in Chattanooga, which is about 60 miles from Crossville.

Garrison didn't have any more information about the victims.

He said the Federal Aviation Administration was to send inspectors to the scene.

The second aviation accident occurred Tuesday morning when a private craft flipped onto its top after landing in a parking lot of the Smoky Mountain Speedway in Blount County.

The FAA told The Daily Times the single-engine Cessna 182 was registered to Nicholas P. Lyons of Centralia, Ill., and was trying to land when the accident occurred.

There were two people on board, who appeared unhurt and were not taken to a hospital.
 

Cumberland County plane crash sends two to hospital 
 
A Florida husband and wife both were flown to a Chattanooga hospital with serious injuries after their small, private airplane crashed on takeoff from a Cumberland County airport this morning, authorities said.

The occupants, Phillip and Marian Cashmer, both 72, of Winter Haven, Fla., were transported to Erlanger Medical Center, according to Crossville Fire Chief Mike Turner.

The victims' conditions were not immediately available.

The crash occurred at 8:25 a.m. CDT at the Crossville Memorial Airport.

The coupe's airplane — a two-seat, hand-built Sonex experimental aircraft — crashed into a deep ravine, about 50 feet short of a tree line beyond the end of the runway, Turner said.

"And they just missed the power lines," he added.

The couple apparently were attending the ninth annual American Sonex Association Fly-In, which was held Thursday and Friday in Crossville, according to the association's website.  The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

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