National Transportation Safety Board - Docket And Docket Items: http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
National Transportation Safety Board - Aviation Accident Data Summary: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
NTSB Identification: CEN15FA194
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, April 03, 2015 in Advance, IN
Probable Cause Approval Date: 01/14/2016
Aircraft: S C AEROSTAR S A YAK 52TW, registration: N555GD
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
Radar data showed the airplane maneuvering in visual meteorological conditions before radar contact was lost. Although the radar data showed the accident flight’s ground track, altitude information was not available for the maneuvering portion of the flight for reasons that could not be determined because the airplane's transponder was destroyed. There were no witnesses to the accident. Examination of the accident site indicated a high-airspeed, near-vertical impact with terrain consistent with a loss of airplane control. Although the wreckage was significantly fragmented, no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airframe or engine were noted that would have precluded normal operation. No medical issues were identified with the pilot that would have contributed to the accident. The reason for the loss of control could not be determined.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s loss of airplane control while maneuvering for reasons that could not be determined because an examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact abnormalities.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On April 3, 2015, about 1540 eastern daylight time, a S C Aerostar S A Yak-52TW single-engine airplane, N555GD, was destroyed after impacting terrain while maneuvering near Advance, Indiana. The private rated pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight departed from the Eagle Creek Airpark (EYE), Indianapolis, Indiana, at 1509.
A review of the radar data showed the airplane departed runway 3 at EYE and traveled northwest toward Lebanon, Indiana, about parallel with Interstate 65 at an altitude of about 2,000 feet above ground level (agl). Prior to reaching Lebanon, the airplane made a left turn and then performed a series of turns and maneuvers in the rural area south/southwest of Lebanon. The end of the radar flight track showed the airplane heading in a southerly direction. There were no known witnesses to the accident.
According to friends of the pilot, after the pilot had not reported to work on April 6th, a missing persons report was filed with the local authorities. On April 10th, a friend of the pilot accessed the pilot's hangar and noted the pilot's work vehicle was parked in the hangar, and the airplane was not in the hangar. On April 10th, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT) for the missing airplane. The airplane was located about 0830 on April 12th by Civil Air Patrol personnel.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot, age 58, held a private pilot certificate, with airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings. The pilot's FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on June 13, 2013, with a limitation of "Must have available glasses for near vision." The pilot's most recent flight review was completed on July 7, 2013, in the accident airplane.
According to a pilot logbook located by family representatives, the pilot had accumulated at least 1,781 total flight hours. The pilot's estimated flight hours in the accident airplane were 500 total hours.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The accident airplane was a 2003 S. C. Aerostar S. A. Yak-52 TW, serial number 0212405. The airplane was powered by a Motostar M14-PDXK radial engine, and a 3-blade, constant-speed MT Propeller. The special airworthiness certificate was issued on February 6, 2013, in the experimental-exhibition category. The airplane was registered to the pilot on May 24, 2005.
The most recent conditional inspection was completed on March 29, 2014, at a total airframe and engine time of 1,029 hours. The airplane was equipped with a Garmin handheld global positioning system (GPS) and a Dynon D-10A Electronic Flight Information System (EFIS).
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
At 1553, the EYE automated weather observation reported the wind from 360 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 20 knots, 10 miles visibility, sky overcast at 4,600 feet, temperature 12 degrees C, dew point 3 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.84 inches of mercury.
RADAR AND COMMUNICATIONS INFORMATION
No communications between the pilot and air traffic control services were recorded.
Examination of the radar data showed that after departure from EYE, altitude reporting information was available for the accident airplane as it crossed over Interstate 65 and then flew parallel to Interstate 65. As the airplane turned to the south (left) away from Interstate 65, the altitude information disappeared and was no longer available. No altitude information was recorded for the maneuvering phase and remainder of the flight.
The airplane's transponder was destroyed during the accident and was not able to be functionally tested.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The airplane wreckage was located in a harvested cornfield about ½ miles southwest of the last radar contact. The wreckage was distributed on a measured magnetic heading of 350 degrees. The main wreckage consisted of the engine, fuselage, wings, and empennage, and was located in a crater about 8 feet in depth. Several fragmented pieces of the airplane were located within a 100-foot diameter of the main wreckage. No evidence of in-flight or post-impact fire was noted.
The airplane wreckage was recovered to a hangar at EYE for further examination. Some damage to the airplane was due to the extraction of the airplane from the impact crater. Examination of the airplane showed the left wing was separated at the wing root. The wing leading edge was crushed forward to aft. The left flap was found in the retracted position. The left main landing gear was separated. The aileron was partially detached from the wing.
The right wing was separated at the wing root. The wing leading edge was crushed forward to aft. The right flap was found in the retracted position. The right main landing gear was separated. The aileron was partially detached from the wing.
The fuselage was crushed and destroyed. The instrument panel and instruments were destroyed and no information from the cockpit instruments was available. The forward and aft seats and seat frames were crushed, and the canopy was destroyed.
The empennage was fragmented and destroyed. The left elevator was separated from its respective horizontal stabilizer, and the trim tab remained attached. The right elevator remained partially attached to the horizontal stabilizer. The left and right horizontal stabilizer leading edges were crushed forward to aft. The rudder was separated from the vertical stabilizer. The vertical stabilizer was crushed forward to aft. Evidence of a foreign object debris protector was observed inside the empennage section.
Flight control continuity was not established due to the fragmentation and damage to the airplane and its major components. All observed fracture surfaces of control cables and linkage were consistent with overload failure.
The engine was separated from the fuselage and fractured into three main sections. The engine and fractured sections were covered in earthen debris. Five engine cylinders were observed and four engine cylinders were absent from the recovered wreckage. Seven engine pistons were observed and two engine pistons were absent from the recovered wreckage. The engine could not be functionally tested due to damage.
The wooden propeller was found splinted into several sections in the debris field. Portions of three individual propeller blades were located.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Central Indiana Forensic Associates, LLC, at the authorization of the Boone County Coroner's Office. The listed cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries as a result of an accident.
The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological testing on specimens from the pilot. The tests were negative for all screened drugs. Testing for carbon monoxide and cyanide were not performed. The report indicated 160 mg/dL ethanol in the liver, 41 mg/dL in the heart, and 28 mg/dL in the blood. N-Propanol was detected in the blood.
Given the advanced stage of decomposition of the specimens, the ethanol found was likely from sources other than ingestion.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
The Garmin GPSMAP, Dynon D-10A EFIS, and the pilot's mobile phone were sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder's Laboratory in Washington, DC, for examination and data download. Exterior examination of the Garmin GPS revealed significant damage. The memory chip was removed and downloaded using laboratory equipment. The data was successfully recovered using forensic software. The accident flight was not identified in the 65 recorded sessions from June 1, 2014, to March 22, 2015. Ten flights were recorded in the calendar year. No additional pertinent information could be extracted from the device.
The Dynon D-10A was capable of storing data in the non-volatile memory (NVM). Exterior examination of the Dynon revealed significant damage. The memory chip was removed and downloaded using laboratory equipment. A thorough analysis of the imaged data showed that no data was recorded to the device and no further work was performed.
The pilot's mobile phone, an Apple iPhone 6+, was capable of storing data in the NVM. The extent of damage sustained by the iPhone precluded normal recovery procedures and additional attempts using surrogate units were unsuccessful in obtaining data. No data pertinent to the accident were recovered.
NTSB Identification: CEN15FA194
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, April 03, 2015 in Advance, IN
Aircraft: S C AEROSTAR S A YAK 52TW, registration: N555GD
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 either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On April 3, 2015, about 1540 eastern daylight time, a S C Aerostar S A Yak-52TW single-engine airplane, N555GD, was destroyed after impacting terrain while maneuvering near Advance, Indiana. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight departed from the Eagle Creek Airpark (EYE), Indianapolis, Indiana, at 1509.
Preliminary radar data showed the airplane departed runway 3 at EYE and traveled northwest toward Lebanon, Indiana. Prior to reaching Lebanon, the airplane made a left turn and performed a series of turns and maneuvers in the rural area south/southwest of Lebanon. The end of the radar flight track showed the airplane heading in a southerly direction.
The airplane wreckage was located in a harvested cornfield approximately ½ mile southwest of the last radar contact. The wreckage was distributed on a measured magnetic heading of 350 degrees. The main wreckage consisted of the engine, fuselage, wings and empennage, and was located in a crater approximately 8 feet in depth. Several fragmented pieces of the airplane were located within a 100-foot diameter of the main wreckage. No evidence of in-flight or post-impact fire was noted.
At 1553, the EYE automated weather observation reported the wind from 300 degrees at 6 knots, 10 miles visibility, broken clouds at 11,000 feet, temperature 9 degrees C, dew point 5 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.94 inches of mercury.
According to friends of the pilot, after the pilot had not reported to work on April 6th, a missing persons report was filed with the local authorities. On April 10th, a friend of the pilot accessed the pilot's hangar and noted the pilot's work vehicle was parked in the hangar, and the airplane was missing. On April 10th, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT) for the missing airplane. The airplane was located approximately 0830 on April 12th by Civil Air Patrol personnel.
GLENN FOY: http://registry.faa.gov/N555GD
Any witnesses should email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
The Boone County coroner has identified a pilot found in the wreckage of a small plane in Boone County a week ago.
Glenn N. Foy, 58, Indianapolis, was identified using dental records, according to a news release from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Foy left Eagle Creek Airport in Indianapolis on April 3 and was reported missing April 6. On April 12, the wreckage was found in a field southwest of Lebanon.
Rescuers couldn’t see inside the cockpit of the single-engine airplane at the time because it was buried in the wet ground and only the tail was visible.
Foy was the only person aboard.
Foy was a long-distance cycler and skydiver who bought his first plane, a Cessna 177 Cardinal, in the early 1990s, according to his obituary.
He had “an adventurous spirit of fun to create a broad network of friends, family, associates and clients bound to him by respect, loyalty and affection,” according to the obit.
Foy was born in Ottawa, Canada, and his family moved to Indianapolis when he was in third grade. He graduated from North Central High School in 1974 and was owner of Best Equipment & Welding Inc.
Survivors include three siblings, several nieces and nephews and his companion of eight years, Sheryl Vaughn.
A memorial service will be held May 3 at the Palomino Ballroom, 481 S. County Road 1200 East, Zionsville.
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BOONE COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — The week-long search for a missing Indianapolis pilot ended on a somber note this weekend, when 58-year-old Glenn Foy was found in the wreckage of his plane in a Boone County field.
A small memorial sits near the field where Foy was found, reading “Blue Skies forever.”
But a cloud hangs over the Indianapolis aviation community, especially at Eagle Creek Airport where Foy kept his plane.
“[When] you lose one of your own, especially under circumstances like this, it hits home. It hurts,” said Alan Reber, whose airplane is stored in a hangar across from Foy’s.
Foy was an antique plane enthusiast, and flew a YAK-52 originally developed in the Soviet Union.
It was nearly buried on impact, only the tail remaining visible.
Colonel Tim Turner of the Indiana Civil Air Patrol says it’s not surprising that it was overlooked by passersby.
“As you drive by from the road, you can tell there’s something out there but it could be farm equipment, it could be debris, could be who knows what. It’s not obvious at all,” said Turner.
The pilot did not return from his flight April 3. His business partner reported him missing a few days later.
When the Indiana Civil Air Patrol took the case, it had been a week since Foy embarked on his last flight.
“Based on the time we believe he left Eagle Creek Airport and the cell phone data, that’s how we were able to figure out this was definitely or most likely the path his aircraft took,” said Turner.
As for the delay: the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department also said they followed protocol in only publicizing Foy’s case once investigators determined his life was in danger.
The Federal Aviation Administration continues to investigate the cause of the crash, but fellow pilots describe him as caring and competent.
“I’m usually careful who I fly with but I always felt comfortable with him the few times that we were together,” said Reber, who is a professional commercial airline pilot. “He will be missed, he’s a great guy.”
The Indiana Wing Civil Air Patrol sent us the following statement:
“The Indiana Wing Civil Air Patrol is saddened by the loss of a fellow pilot. Civil Air Patrol aircrews, ground crews, and command staff worked diligently night and day in an effort to locate Mr. Foy. During the early morning hours of Sunday, April 12th, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center along with Civil Air Patrol radar and cell phone forensic experts were able to send the Indiana Wing actionable information regarding Mr. Foy’s probable location. This information led to the early morning discovery of Mr. Foy’s airplane in Boone County.”
LEBANON, Ind. - Boone County authorities confirmed that an airplane belonging to a missing Indianapolis man was found Sunday morning in a farm field southwest of Lebanon.
It is the airplane of Glenn Foy who was last seen leaving Eagle Creek Airport heading to Muncie a week ago. Emergency workers have not been able to get to the plane to confirm that Foy is in the wreckage.
During a press conference Sunday morning officials revealed that the plane took off from Eagle Creek Airport on Friday, April 3rd. The pilot of the plane, Glenn Foy, was not reported missing to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police until April 6th.
The Civil Air Patrol was contacted on Friday to help locate the airplane and pilot. Phone pings and radar information led them from the initial possible location of Muncie to Boone County. The Civil Air Patrol searched in Boone County from 10 p.m. Saturday until 2 a.m. Sunday morning. They returned to the search area Sunday morning and were able to locate the wreckage of Yak-52 in the middle of a farm field.
A girlfriend and other family members of Foy have been notified that the plane has been found. Glenn Foy loved to fly and was a very experienced pilot. It would not be unusual for him to go on this kind of flight.
INDIANAPOLIS – The body of an Indianapolis businessman was found inside the wreckage of his missing plane Sunday after a two-day search.
Glenn Foy, 58, of Indianapolis, was last spotted on radar April 3 flying a Yak 52 Airplane out of the Eagle Creek Airport, a departure that was captured on surveillance video.
Boone County authorities announced Sunday that his plane had been found crashed in a rural area southwest of Lebanon, near the intersection of County Road 325 South and County Road 425 West.
Sheriff Mike Nielsen said recover of Foy's body could take several days depending upon NTSB investigators.
Foy was the president of Best Equipment & Welding Co. in Indianapolis and an experienced pilot.
In 2013 the FAA recognized Foy by including him in the FAA Airmen Certification Database, reserved for pilots who have met or exceeded high educational, licensing and medical standards.
FAA officials say Foy went off radar in the Muncie area in Delaware County and hasn't been seen since. Foy did not file a flight plan, which Greenwood flight instructor Tim Jeffries says is common for pilots traveling short distances. Authorities say if Foy had filed a flight plan, they would have conducted a search within 30 minutes of his estimated arrival. Instead, no search began until Friday.
"This particular aircraft has a range of 350 miles but just like any road trip you can stop for gas," said Tom Turner of the Civil Air Patrol, the organization that is conducting the search for Foy on the ground around Muncie.
"I don't know that he is in danger, he's missing and that's always a concern. Someone who has been missing for this amount of time with no contact to family or friends, we need to find him," Turner said.
Neighbors said Foy frequently left on long trips, but that he hadn't been responding to their texts. His business partner first reported him missing on April 6.
Anyone in the Muncie area who noticed a distressed plane last week is asked to contact the Delaware County Sheriff's Department at 765-747-7878 or the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at 317-327-3811.
LEBANON, Ind. (AP) — Authorities say a small plane that went missing nine days ago after taking off from an Indianapolis airport has been found in a field 22 miles northwest and the pilot is presumed dead inside.
Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Tim Turner says the two-seater plane created a crater when it struck the ground and only the tail is visible. The 58-year-old pilot, Glenn Foy, left Eagle Creek Airport on April 3.
Indianapolis police issued an alert for Foy on Saturday and authorities originally thought radar showed the plane had been near Muncie. But Turner says that turned out to be a different plane. Turner says cell phone data led to a search near Lebanon Saturday night. The wreck was found Sunday morning. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Around a week ago, Glenn Foy took off from a small Northwestside airport in a plane designed for quick trips and aerobatics.
The pilot never returned.
Now, a team of air and ground searchers and multiple law enforcement agencies have honed in on the Muncie area, as they look for what they fear might be wreckage.
But searchers say they're not sure if that's where Foy might have crashed, if that's indeed what happened. Even the exact date of his departure is unclear. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says he departed Sunday, April 5. But Delaware County authorities and rescue crews say it was Friday, April 3.
But they each say Foy, a 59-year-old Indianapolis pilot, was last seen departing Eagle Creek Airport in a Yakovlev (Yak) 52.
It's a two-seat, single-engine aircraft primarily used by the Soviet Union for pilot training. Many have been exported to the West.
"It's not the type of airplane that you'd hop into and go fly across country just for joy or for pleasure," said Matthew Creed, the wing commander of Indiana's Civil Air Patrol. "It's an airplane you go up and turn upside down with."
Foy didn't provide a flight plan with the Federal Aviation Administration, which isn't unusual if a pilot plans on flying locally, said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Chris Wilburn.
Creed said his group of volunteer pilots, who are often tasked with aerial search-and-rescue missions, got the call on Friday, after one of Foy's associates filed a missing-persons report with local authorities.
Creed said searchers Friday evening and throughout Saturday have been flying sorties over the Muncie area, because the FAA picked up an odd radar signal that could have been Foy's Yak going down.
"There was a radar target that showed up at one altitude, then another altitude, then (it) wasn't there any more," Creed said.
But Creed said they're not sure that was Foy.
"We don't have any definitive information that was his aircraft or that that was the direction he was flying," Creed said.
INDIANAPOLIS – Detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Missing Persons Unit seeks assistance in locating 59-year-old Glenn Foy of Indianapolis. He was last seen April 5th, 2015 flying a Yak 52 Airplane out of the Eagle Creek Airport. The FAA advises Mr. Foy went off radar in the Muncie Indiana area located in Delaware County, Indiana.
Mr. Foy is believed to be in danger. If anyone in the Muncie area noticed a plane in distress last week, please contact local authorities. The Civil Air Patrol continues their ground search and hope the public can provide investigators with additional information.
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