Loss of Control in Flight: Commuter Craft Innovator, N257AR; fatal accident occurred March 23, 2019 near Tom B. David Airport (KCZL), Calhoun, Gordon County, Georgia

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board 

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Atlanta, Georgia

Continental Engines; Mobile, Alabama 

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket

https://registry.faa.gov/N257AR

Location: Calhoun, Georgia

Accident Number: ERA19FA134

Date & Time: March 23, 2019, 15:35 Local

Registration: N257AR

Aircraft: HOGAN Innovator

Aircraft Damage: Substantial

Defining Event: Loss of control in flight 

Injuries: 1 Fatal

Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Flight test

Analysis

The pilot, who was also the owner/designer/builder of the experimental amateur-built airplane, had no recent flight experience and a medical certificate that had expired about 20 years before the accident flight. Despite assurances to his employees that he would not fly the airplane on what was its second test flight, video from inside the accident airplane showed that the pilot departed on the accident flight and the airplane immediately displayed rapid divergences in both the pitch and roll axis that were demonstrated on the airplane's first test flight. The airplane remained at treetop height throughout the upwind leg and into the crosswind turn and reached about 200 ft above ground level in level flight on the downwind leg. As the airplane accelerated, rapid pitch oscillations (phugoid) were exhibited. A handheld radio secured to the copilot's seat shoulder harness and the pilot himself were seen to "float" in the cockpit each time the airplane pitched nose down as the amplitude of the phugoid progressively increased, the duration of weightlessness displayed each time also increased. During one phugoid, an audible "oil pressure" warning was heard. The video ended abruptly as the pilot became unseated for about the fourth time and as the airplane appeared near treetop height. The airplane then impacted terrain.

The pilot had no experience in the accident airplane, which was the prototype for an airplane he intended to mass produce. A test pilot had completed the airplane's first flight in the traffic pattern. He described significant stability issues, which were captured by onboard video, and said the airplane departed controlled flight uncommanded about a dozen times. After the test pilot was able to safely land the airplane, it was disassembled, returned to the factory, modified according to the accident pilot's specifications based on captured data and the test pilot's observations, and then brought back to the departure airport for taxi testing the day before the accident.

According to employees of the company, the pilot was pressured by investors and missed deadlines, and was sleep-deprived and ill from a "severe" cold for which he was self-medicating. This pressure likely influenced the pilot's decision to test the prototype airplane himself despite his lack of experience and the stability issues demonstrated by the airplane on its initial test flight.

Examination of the wreckage and aircraft data captured from avionics systems, as well as statements from witnesses confirmed that the engine operated smoothly and continuously through the end of the flight. The condition of the wreckage precluded a thorough accounting of the flight control system; though based on statements provided by the previous test pilot, it is likely that the stability portrayed in the video of the first test flight remained during the accident flight, and when combined with the pilot's lack of experience, resulted in him being unable to maintain control of the airplane.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the airplane's second test flight, which resulted in a collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot allowing external pressures to guide his decision to fly the airplane when he possessed little total flight experience, no recent flight experience, and no experience in the accident airplane or similar airplane.

Findings

Aircraft Pitch control - Not attained/maintained

Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot

Environmental issues Financial pressure - Decision related to condition

Environmental issues Time/schedule pressure - Decision related to condition

Personnel issues Stress - Pilot

Personnel issues Total experience w/ equipment - Pilot

Personnel issues Recent experience - Pilot

Factual Information

History of Flight

Approach-VFR pattern downwind  Loss of control in flight (Defining event)

On March 23, 2019, at 1535 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Commuter Craft Innovator, N257AR, was destroyed by collision with terrain during an uncontrolled descent after takeoff from Thomas B. David Field (CZL), Calhoun, Georgia. The pilot/owner/designer/builder was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight test which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to employees of Commuter Craft, the airplane was the prototype for an airplane planned for mass production. The airplane was flown for the first time by a test pilot on February 25, 2019 at Tom B. David Field (CLZ), Calhoun, Georgia. The test pilot completed one traffic pattern and landed. The airplane was disassembled, returned to the factory, modified according to the pilot/builder based on captured data and test-pilot observations, and then brought back to CLZ for taxi testing the day prior to the accident.

On the day of the accident, the pilot asked his assistant to fly in a "chase plane" with a camera and photograph the airplane "in case it takes off." The pilot said he did not intend to fly, would land if the airplane lifted off, and would only fly if "he had no other choice." According to his assistant, she watched from the chase plane as the airplane departed "barely above the trees," turned in the traffic pattern, and then descended from view.

According to the chase pilot, the pilot/owner instructed him to depart ahead of the accident airplane. The pilot/owner said he would take off, enter the downwind leg, "verify the plane was flying satisfactorily" and then climb the airplane to 3,000 ft. Once at altitude, the two planes would join up to capture footage of the prototype airplane in flight. Footage of the accident flight was not captured, but the pilot witnessed the accident flight from about 2,500 ft.

Video from a camera mounted on the airplane's right window show that, immediately after takeoff, the airplane displayed rapid divergences in both the pitch and roll axis and that the pilot made pronounced movements of the control stick in response. The airplane remained at treetop height throughout the upwind leg and into the crosswind turn and appeared to reach about 200 ft agl in level flight once established on the downwind leg. As the airplane accelerated, it showed rapid pitch oscillations and the amplitude of the pitch oscillations progressively increased. A handheld radio secured to the copilot's seat shoulder harness and the pilot himself were seen to "float" in the cockpit each time the airplane pitched nose down as the amplitude of the phugoid progressively increased, the duration of weightlessness displayed each time also increased.

Data recovered from an onboard recording device indicated the airplane experienced multiple pitch oscillations between about 1° nose down and 12° nose up. Engine parameters were nominal and show that the aircraft reached 100 percent power and stayed at a high-power setting until the end of the recording. During one pitch oscillation, an audible "oil pressure" warning was heard. The video ended abruptly as the pilot became unseated for about the fourth time and as the airplane appeared near treetop height. The airplane then impacted terrain.

The chase pilot watched the airplane take off and turn to the crosswind and downwind legs of the traffic pattern. He estimated the accident airplane never climbed more than 200 feet above ground level (agl), and that the airplane struggled "to maintain airspeed or a nose-up attitude." The chase pilot heard the pilot announce his intention to return to the airport, but that a reason was not specified. He said the airplane was "porpoising" in flight before the nose "dipped down" and the airplane collided with trees and terrain.

Another witness, who was also a pilot, watched the accident flight from his car as he approached the airport. The witness said that he saw the airplane, which he presumed had "just taken off," pitching and rolling about 20° left and right and nose-up and nose-down and that it appeared unstable. The witness described the crosswind turn as "steep" and estimated the bank angle at 45°. Another witness, who was inside his workshop when the airplane flew "low" overhead, said the sound of the engine was loud, smooth, and continuous until he heard the sound of impact.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private 

Age: 62, Male

Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land

Seat Occupied: Left

Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 

Restraint Used:

Instrument Rating(s): None 

Second Pilot Present: No

Instructor Rating(s): None

Toxicology Performed: No

Medical Certification: Class 3 Without waivers/limitations

Last FAA Medical Exam: December 6, 1999

Occupational Pilot: No

Last Flight Review or Equivalent:

Flight Time: 334.7 hours (Total, all aircraft), 0.1 hours (Total, this make and model), 0 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Review of Federal Aviation Administration records revealed the pilot did not hold a valid medical certificate and he had not completed a BasicMed course. A review of his logbook revealed the pilot had logged 334 total hours of flight experience.

Entries in the logbook began in 1986 and gaps of several years where the pilot logged no flights were noted. During 1986-1987, the pilot logged 40.6 hours of flight experience, then did not fly again until 1991. He flew regularly from 1991-1995 but did not fly again until 2011, where he logged only one flight. He logged 2 flights in 2017, and 3 flights in 2018.

The pilot logged 4.7 total hours of flight experience over the 3 flights in 2018. His most recent flight was 1.1 hours on April 27, 2018, in a Flight Design CTLS airplane. According to his employees and his logbook, the pilot had no experience in the Innovator airplane as either a pilot or passenger. Further, a review of the remarks section throughout his logbook revealed only rudimentary flights and flight training. The pilot had no experience as a test pilot and no such training reflected in his logbook.

According to two of the pilot's employees, the pilot discussed scheduling pressures regarding the development and fielding of the airplane. They each had conversations with the pilot about his role as designer/builder and the head of the company; they each strongly urged him to stay out of the cockpit of the accident airplane. The two employees sought and received assurances from the pilot that he would not fly the accident airplane. His executive assistant urged him to concentrate on running their operation

and reported financial pressures on the pilot from an investor.

When asked about the pilot's general health, two employees described the pilot as sleep deprived and that he was sick in the days preceding and on the day of the accident. His assistant said he had a "severe cough, head and chest congestion, and fever" and was self-medicating with over-the-counter "non-drowsy" cold medication.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: HOGAN

Registration: N257AR

Model/Series: Innovator No Series 

Aircraft Category: Airplane

Year of Manufacture: 

Amateur Built: Yes

Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental (Special)

Serial Number: 002

Landing Gear Type: Tricycle

Seats: 2

Date/Type of Last Inspection: Condition 

Certified Max Gross Wt.:

Time Since Last Inspection: 

Engines: Reciprocating

Airframe Total Time: 

Engine Manufacturer: Continental

ELT: C126 installed, not activated 

Engine Model/Series: IOX-370-CLD1T

Registered Owner: 

Rated Power:

Operator: On file 

Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

The composite construction airplane was a two-place, twin-tailboom, rear-engine, pusher-propeller airplane, powered by a Titan IOX-370-CLD1T4 engine. According to a company employee, the airplane had accrued about 12 hours on the Hobbs meter, of which about 0.3 hours was actual flight time.

In a written statement, the pilot who performed the initial test flight of the accident airplane provided a detailed description of what he observed and experienced on that flight. He said:

As soon as I came off the ground the plane went into a wild oscillation of both pitch and roll. I ran out of elevator up trim within the first few seconds of that flight and then had a lot of control pressure involved to keep it flying around the pattern. At that point I realized I needed altitude to sort out the control ability of the aircraft… During the flight I actually bumped off the elevator stop at least three times. I don't know how many times during that flight the aircraft departed straight and level flight, all uncommanded, however I would guess it to be around a dozen times. At one point I considered bailing out of the plane but realized I had enough control to try to line up with the airport runway and attempt a controlled landing, or at least get it back to the airport where help could be given if the landing didn't go well. As it turned out once I reduced the throttle for the final approach I was able to let off some of my control pressure for the elevator and make a very nice controlled descent... In my opinion: the aircraft demonstrated a static stability that was divergent and unstable. While dynamic stability was just barely on the stable side of neutral. These two factors obviously fought each other in the stability of the aircraft.

Video of the first half of the test flight, which was captured by an onboard camera mounted on the copilot's window, provided a cross-cockpit view of the pilot and views outside his window and part of the windscreen. Audio of ambient noise in the cockpit as well as radio communications was heard throughout. The video viewed was consistent with the narrative description provided by the test pilot.

The camera's battery lost its charge mid-flight and the video ended abruptly on the upwind leg over the runway.

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)

Condition of Light: Day

Observation Facility, Elevation: KRMG,644 ft msl

Distance from Accident Site: 12 Nautical Miles

Observation Time: 15:53 Local 

Direction from Accident Site: 239°

Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 

Visibility: 10 miles

Lowest Ceiling: None 

Visibility (RVR):

Wind Speed/Gusts: 3 knots / 

Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /

Wind Direction: 

Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  /

Altimeter Setting: 30.2 inches Hg

Temperature/Dew Point: 21°C / -8°C

Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation

Departure Point: Calhoun, GA (CZL)

Type of Flight Plan Filed: None

Destination: Calhoun, GA (CZL)

Type of Clearance: None

Departure Time: 15:33 Local 

Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: TOM B DAVID FLD CZL 

Runway Surface Type: Asphalt

Airport Elevation: 655 ft msl

Runway Surface Condition: Rough; Vegetation

Runway Used: 35

IFR Approach: None

Runway Length/Width: 6034 ft / 100 ft

VFR Approach/Landing: None

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal 

Aircraft Damage: Substantial

Passenger Injuries:

Aircraft Fire: None

Ground Injuries: N/A 

Aircraft Explosion: None

Total Injuries: 1 Fatal

Latitude, Longitude: 34.451389,-84.950836(est)

The airplane was destroyed by impact and displayed no evidence of pre- or post-impact fire. Ground scars and fragmentation of the wreckage were consistent with ground contact in a steep, nose-down attitude at high speed. The wreckage path was about 90 ft long and oriented 132° magnetic. The initial ground scar was in an open field and the main wreckage came to rest inside a narrow wood line between two fields. There was no evidence of fire. Flight control continuity could not be confirmed due to multiple cable breaks and fractures. All breaks and fractures exhibited signatures consistent with overload failure.

The engine was separated from its mounts and entangled with the main wreckage. Engine control continuity was established from the engine to its control quadrant, which remained attached to the engine. The two composite propeller blades of the contestant-speed propeller were both uniformly fractured at their respective hubs and displayed chordwise scratching.

The engine was rotated by hand at the propeller flange and powertrain continuity was confirmed through the accessory section. Thumb compression could not be confirmed on the #1 and #3 cylinders due to impact damage. Internal borescope examination revealed signatures consistent with normal wear and lubrication. The electronic magnetos were impact damaged, and the engine-driven fuel pump was

separated by impact.

Additional Information

The FAA issued Advisory Circular (AC) 90-89B, "Amateur-Built Aircraft and Ultralight Flight Testing Handbook," was issued to make amateur-built aircraft pilots aware that "test flying an aircraft is a critical undertaking," which should be approached with "thorough planning, skill, and common sense" and to provide recommendations and suggestions that could be combined with other sources on test flying (such as, the aircraft plan/kit manufacturer's flight testing instructions, other flight testing data) that would assist amateur owners to "develop a detailed flight test plan, tailored for their aircraft and resources."

The AC also provided guidance on developing a plan for each phase of an amateur-built airplane's production, including preparing for the airworthiness inspection, determining weight and balance, conducting taxi and flight testing, and developing emergency procedures. The suggested flight-testing regimen was separated into 10-hour segments for the 40-plus-hour flight testing requirement.

The AC also included guidelines for the experience level of the test pilot, which included, in part, the following:

The test pilot should be experienced and competent. He/she should have made a minimum of 100 solo flights in similar make, model, and type of ultralight and must follow the FLIGHT-TEST PLAN exactly. The FLIGHT-TEST PLAN aircraft and follow a flight-test plan that should examine the ultralight and its performance capability, beginning with the pre-flight inspection and ending only after the test pilot has explored the ultralight's published flight envelope as described in the flight manual.

The FAA issued AC 90-109A, "Transition to Unfamiliar Aircraft," which describes stability and controllability of unfamiliar aircraft:

7. Stability and Controllability, b. Discussion, (2) - Once the airplane is disturbed from its steady condition, dynamic stability comes into play. A positively stable airplane will return to its pre-disturbed flight condition upon removal of the disturbance. It might do this slowly or quickly, with or without oscillations.…. An airplane with negative dynamic stability will develop larger deviations from its original flight condition following a disturbance. Again, this can happen slowly or quickly, with or without oscillations. Obviously, an airplane with negative dynamic stability could be difficult, if not impossible, to fly.

(3) (a) Negative longitudinal dynamic stability (phugoid). If the airplane deviates slower (or faster) from its trimmed airspeed, it will accelerate (or decelerate) beyond its trimmed airspeed, then decelerate (or accelerate) again beyond its trimmed airspeed in ever-increasing airspeed and altitude deviations until it stalls, exceeds VNE [never-exceed speed], or impacts the ground. The pilot cannot rely on the airplane to self-correct even minor airspeed deviations caused by control input, wind gust, thermal activity, etc. This can result in fatigue, as the pilot must continuously suppress the excursions.

Medical and Pathological Information

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Division of Forensic Sciences, Decatur, Georgia, performed an autopsy of the pilot and determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries.

The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicological testing on the pilot. Testing revealed the presence of Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Dextromethorphan in muscle tissue and Naproxen and Dextrorphan in liver tissue, but use of these medications would generally not present a hazard to aviation safety.

=============

Location: Calhoun, GA
Accident Number: ERA19FA134
Date & Time: 03/23/2019, 1535 EDT
Registration: N257AR
Aircraft: HOGAN Innovator
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Flight Test 

On March 23, 2019, at 1535 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Commuter Craft Innovator, N257AR, was destroyed by collision with terrain during an uncontrolled descent after takeoff from Thomas B. David Field (CZL), Calhoun, Georgia. The pilot/owner/designer/builder was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight test which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to employees of Commuter Craft, the accident airplane was the prototype for an airplane kit that was planned for mass production. The accident airplane was flown for the first time by a test pilot on February 25, 2019 at CLZ. The test pilot completed one traffic pattern and landed without incident. The airplane was disassembled, returned to the factory, modified at the accident pilot/builder's direction based on captured data and test-pilot observations, and then brought back to CLZ, reassembled, and taxi-tested the day prior to the accident.

On the day of the accident, the pilot asked his assistant to fly in a "chase plane" with a camera and photograph the airplane "in case it takes off." The pilot said he did not intend to fly, would land if the airplane lifted off, and would only fly if "he had no other choice." According to his assistant, she watched from the chase plane as the airplane departed "barely above the trees," turned in the traffic pattern, and then descended from view.

According to the chase pilot, the accident pilot/owner instructed him to depart ahead of N257AR. The pilot/owner said he would takeoff, enter the downwind leg, "verify the plane was flying satisfactorily" and then climb the airplane to 3,000 ft. Once at altitude, the two planes would join up to capture footage of the prototype airplane in flight. Footage of the accident flight was not captured, but the chase pilot witnessed the accident flight from about 2,500 ft.

The chase pilot watched the accident airplane take off and turn to the crosswind and downwind legs of the traffic pattern. He estimated the airplane never climbed more than 200 feet above ground level (agl), and that the airplane struggled "to maintain airspeed or a nose-up attitude." The chase pilot heard the accident pilot announce his intention to return to the airport, though a reason was not specified. He said the airplane was "porpoising" in flight before the nose "dipped down" and the airplane collided with trees and terrain.

Another pilot witnessed the accident flight from his car as he approached the airport. Immediately after takeoff, the airplane was "pitching and rolling and appeared unstable." He estimated the pitch and roll excursions were about 20° left and right, and nose-up and nose-down. The witness described the crosswind turn as "steep" and estimated the bank angle at 45°. He also stated the airplane was "very low" and estimated it was about 150 ft agl in the turn when it disappeared behind trees due to "distance and low altitude." The witness said he could not hear the engine sound from inside his car.

In a telephone interview, another witness said that he was inside his workshop when the airplane flew "low" overhead. He said the sound of the engine was loud, smooth, and continuous until the sounds of impact were heard. The witness left his shop to discover the airplane had crashed on his property.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued December 6, 1999. Preliminary review of FAA records revealed the pilot did not hold a valid medical certificate nor had he completed a BasicMed course. A review of his logbook revealed the pilot had logged 334 total hours of flight experience. He logged 4.7 total hours of flight experience in 2018. His most recent flight was 1.1 hours in duration on April 27, 2018 in a Flight Design CTLS airplane. According to employees of Commuter Craft and the pilot's logbook, the pilot had no experience in the Innovator airplane as either a pilot or passenger.

According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 2018, and its most recent condition inspection was completed on November 12, 2018. It was a two-place, twin-tailboom, rear-engine, pusher-propeller airplane of composite construction. It was powered by a Titan IOX-370-CLD1T4 engine. According to a Commuter Craft employee, the airplane had accrued about 12 hours on the hobbs meter, of which about .3 hours was actual flight time.

The wreckage was destroyed by impact and displayed no evidence of pre- or post-impact fire. Ground scars and fragmentation of the wreckage were consistent with ground contact in a steep, nose-down attitude at high speed. The wreckage path was about 90 feet long and oriented 132 degrees magnetic. The initial ground scar was in an open field and the main wreckage came to rest inside a narrow wood line between two fields. Flight control continuity could not be confirmed due to multiple cable breaks and fractures. All breaks and fractures exhibited signatures consistent with overload failure.

The engine was separated from its mounts but entangled with the main wreckage. Engine control continuity was established from the engine to its control quadrant, which remained attached to the engine. The two composite propeller blades of the constant-speed propeller were both uniformly fractured at their respective hubs and displayed chordwise scratching.

The engine's crankshaft was rotated by hand at the propeller flange and powertrain continuity was confirmed through the accessory section. Thumb compression could not be confirmed on the #1 and #3 cylinders due to impact damage. Internal borescope examination revealed signatures consistent with normal wear and lubrication. The electronic magnetos were impact damaged, and the engine-driven fuel pump was separated by impact. The engine and its accessories were retained for further examination.

The Primary Flight Display, Multi-Function Display, and a GoPro camera were recovered at the site and forwarded to the NTSB Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC.

At 1920, the weather recorded at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport (RMG), Rome, Georgia, 12 miles southwest of CLZ included clear skies and variable winds at 3 knots. Visibility was 10 statute miles, the temperature was 21°C, and the dew point was -8°C. The altimeter setting was 30.21 inches of mercury.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: HOGAN
Registration: N257AR
Model/Series: Innovator No Series
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Hogan Richard N
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KRMG, 644 ft msl
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site: 12 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 21°C / -8°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.21 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Company VFR
Departure Point:Calhoun, GA (CZL) 
Destination: Calhoun, GA (CZL) 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 34.451389, -84.950833 (est)

Richard Nolan Hogan

Richard Nolan Hogan, 62, passed away March 23rd, 2019, in Gordon County, Georgia, while performing a test flight in his new airplane, which he designed. A memorial/celebration of life will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, March 30th, 2019 at Doug Ripley’s Airplane Hangar, at 517 Air Acres Lane, Woodstock, Georgia 30188. There will be an opportunity for anyone who would like to share a thought or a memory. Richard was born in Fort Worth, Texas on June 16th, 1956 to Berry Jean and Nellie Jeanette Hogan. He attended Central Elementary School in White Settlement, Texas, and discovered his passion for airplanes when he learned how to make a paper plane. While attending C.F. Brewer Junior High School in White Settlement, in his free time he enjoyed sketching and designing futuristic cars and airplanes.

During his years at Mansfield High School, in the class of 1974, he played the trombone in the stage band, and became great friends with the band members. His passion for aircraft design continued, and he developed a concept of a personal commuter plane, which would become the focus of his lifelong dream. In 1981 he married Stephanie Susan Duncan, and in 1983 they had a daughter, Pamela Susan Hogan, his only child.

Richard had an entrepreneurial spirit from very early on, founding or co-founding several companies over his lifetime. In the 1980s, he designed an innovative storm window, and subsequently he and his longtime childhood best friend, Danny Ferguson co-founded Precision Window & Screen as well as Precision Aluminum in Fort Worth. In 1989 Richard moved to Stone Mountain, Georgia, where he lived for many years. For decades Richard has been very involved in the Experimental Aircraft Association, where he has made countless lasting friendships. He was first with Chapter 690 when he lived in Stone Mountain. Then when he moved to Woodstock, he joined Chapter 1415 (the Wingnuts), and he served as President of that chapter up until his passing.

During the 1990s, he began working at ISES, a facilities condition assessment corporation in Duluth Georgia, working as a Qualified Elevator Inspector, and eventually became the Vice President and CFO. He was an artist at heart, and designed many creative products over the years, including a multi-function ladder, and a unique car trunk organizer. He also co-designed several items with his best friend of 25 years, Joel Dinerman. In recent years, he used his elevator experience from ISES to perform the inspections and provide analysis of the elevator systems at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. In 2015, after 20 years with the company, he made the difficult decision to leave ISES to begin converting his aircraft designs into production. He founded his company, Commuter Craft, and the plane he had envisioned in high school became “The Innovator,” the company’s initial model.

These last few years of Richard’s life were very challenging, as he worked nearly around the clock to get these planes to production, yet they were also the most fulfilling, as he was taking his lifelong dream to the finish line.

Richard is preceded in death by paternal grandparents, Richard Everett Hogan and Lillian Mattie Melton Hogan; maternal grandparents, Nolan J Mauldin and Cora Vidie Mae Lancaster Mauldin; uncle, Bobbie Lynn Hogan; and cousins, Gordon Hogan and Patrick Mauldin. Richard is survived by his daughter, Pamela Susan Hogan Fort Worth, TX; mother, Nellie Jeanette Hogan, Sarasota, FL; father, Berry Jean Hogan (Helen) Mansfield, TX; sister, Beverly Hogan-Fleck (Bill), Sarasota, FL; niece, Miriam Fleck Cirbusoba (Stefan), Sarasota, FL; nephew, Bryan Fleck (Jessica), Orlando, FL; uncle Joe Ray Hogan (Janice), Katy, TX; uncle Jimmie Alton Mauldin, Midland, TX; cousins, Mark Hogan, Michele Hogan, Larry Hogan, Steve Hogan, and Michael Mauldin.

If you have any pictures of Richard that you would like to share with his daughter, they would sure be appreciated. Please email them to PamelaHogan83@gmail.com 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Richard’s memory to the EAA Scholarship Program.

https://www.georgiafuneralcare.com

Gordon County, Georgia - Officials say a small aircraft crashed in Gordon County on Saturday afternoon, killing the pilot.

The plane went down shortly after takeoff from the airport in Calhoun, crashing close to a neighborhood, officials said.  

Channel 2's Michael Seiden was at the scene, where officials said the aircraft was an experimental, amateur-built plane.

The pilot has been identified as Richard Hogan, 63, of Cartersville. Hogan owned Commuter Craft, a company that designed airplanes. 

Seiden learned that Hogan told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he planned to build an unusual-looking propeller plane called The Innovator. Officials said he crashed it Saturday during a test flight. 

Seiden spoke to neighbors, who said that the crash sounded like a bomb going off. 

"I was sitting out front with my neighbors, and we heard an engine come across the hill," Jody Miller said. "We heard a loud blast, like a bomb going off."

Miller said he never saw the plane coming. 

"We all shot to the backyard and didn't see any smoke, but we saw a wheel here in the pasture and then we saw a cloud of dust coming out of the trees," Miller said. 

Miller told Seiden he rushed toward the crash, hoping the pilot was still alive, but  he quickly realized it was too late. 

“I went out there myself and got about 10 feet from there, and I turned around and walked back," Miller said.  

Miller called 911. 

Investigators said they are still working to determine the cause of the crash, but they say the pilot was flying an experimental plane and something went terribly wrong. 

Miller and his neighbors are shaken but glad the aircraft didn't go down on any of their homes. 

"If it had gone down earlier, it could've been in this house or that house ... or any house in this neighborhood," Miller said 

National Transportation Safety Board investigators are expected to arrive at the scene Sunday morning. 

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.wsbtv.com

UPDATE: The man killed in a small plane crash in Gordon County on Saturday afternoon has been identified as Richard Hogan, 63, of Douglasville, according to Deputy Coroner Christy Nicholson. 

Hogan's body will be taken to the GBI Crime Lab in Atlanta for further examination and a ruling on the official cause of death, Nicholson said. 

Nicholson pronounced Hogan dead on the scene of the crash, in a field near a residential neighborhood on Spencer Drive south of Calhoun, at 4:32 p.m. But Hogan died upon impact from multiple blunt force trauma injuries, she said. 

His name was released after the deputy coroner made contact with Hogan's family Saturday night. 

PREVIOUSLY POSTED: Officials remain on the scene of a small airplane crash south of Calhoun which resulted in the death of one person. 

According to the Gordon County Sheriff's Office: 

The crash happened around 3:40 p.m. Saturday. Deputies responded to the area of Spencer Drive south of Calhoun after the crash was reported.

Upon arriving on the scene, deputies found a small plane had crashed into a wooded area within a few hundred yards of a residential neighborhood. The plane was completely destroyed and the single occupant died. 

His name was released after the deputy coroner made contact with Hogan's family Saturday night. 

PREVIOUSLY POSTED: Officials remain on the scene of a small airplane crash south of Calhoun which resulted in the death of one person. 

According to the Gordon County Sheriff's Office: 

The crash happened around 3:40 p.m. Saturday. Deputies responded to the area of Spencer Drive south of Calhoun after the crash was reported.

Upon arriving on the scene, deputies found a small plane had crashed into a wooded area within a few hundred yards of a residential neighborhood. The plane was completely destroyed and the single occupant died. 

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.mdjonline.com

CALHOUN, Georgia — The Federal Aviation Administration has been called in to investigate after a plane crash in north Georgia.

The crash was reported in a Calhoun field around 3:45 p.m., Saturday according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Kathleen Bergen. Bergen said the plane was an Innovator experimental and amateur-built aircraft. 

According to Commuter Craft,  the Innovator is a two-place, side-by-side carbon fiber kit-aircraft.

Authorities reported to NBC-affiliate WRCB that the crash was fatal.

The  Federal Aviation Administration reported that only the pilot was aboard during the crash.

In addition to the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board is also working the accident to determine the cause of the accident.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.11alive.com