NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On February 23, 2014, about 1800 mountain standard time, a Sabrena Dragonfly, N7745C, impacted terrain at the Ak-Chin Regional Airport (A-39), Maricopa, Arizona. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The 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 for the flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from A39 at an unknown time.

Witnesses reported after uneventfully releasing a tandem glider, the pilot descended to about 30 feet above the ground and dropped the tow line. Afterwards, the airplane pitched up abruptly until about 200 feet above the ground, on what appeared to be a downwind for the runway. The nose of the airplane temporarily leveled off before it pitched up a second time. The airplane appeared to stall; the left wing dropped and the airplane spun about 2-3 revolutions before it impacted the ground in a nose low attitude.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 53, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land issued September 18, 2009, and a limited third-class airman medical certificate issued October 22, 2013 with the restriction that he must have glasses available for near vision. The pilot's logbook was not recovered for examination. During the pilot's most recent medical examination he reported 763 total flight hours, 47 hours of which, were within the six months prior to the exam date.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The two-seat, high-wing, pusher-configured airplane, serial number 072403, was manufactured in 2007. It was powered by a Rotax 912S, 100 horsepower engine, and was equipped with three IVO propeller blades. The airplane's maintenance logbooks were unable to be located. However, a sticker for the engine and propeller's annual inspection dated September 13, 2013, with a recorded tachometer reading of 235 hours and an airframe total time of 553 hours, was recovered.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The nearest weather reporting station was located at the Casa Grande Municipal Airport (CGZ), about 8 miles east of the accident site. At 1755, the weather was reported as wind from 20 degrees at 3 knots, clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 23 degrees C, dewpoint -6 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.93 inches of mercury.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

The Ak-Chin Regional Airport is a non-towered airport about five miles southeast of the city of Maricopa at a reported airport elevation of 1,306 feet. The airport features a single asphalt non-precision runway, 4,751-feet long and 50-feet wide, orientated on 040 and 220 degrees respectfully.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane came to rest in a nose low attitude in between the runway and taxiway. The cabin area sustained heavy crush damage. Both wings were still attached to the fuselage; the left wing rested flat on the ground and sustained an upward bend just outboard of midspan. The right wing came to rest in the air above the left wing, with the aileron separated from the outboard most attachment points. Emergency personnel reported that the right wing was originally resting on the ground; they had raised it to provide medical attention to the pilot. The fuselage tubing connecting the cabin to the empennage was fractured just aft of the cabin area. The empennage was mostly intact and sustained minimal damage.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot on February 25, 2014, by the Ak-Chin Police Department in Pinal County, Arizona. The autopsy concluded that the cause of death was blunt force injuries.

The FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the pilot. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were detected in the urine; pseudoephedrine was also detected in the blood. Carbon monoxide and ethanol were not detected, and testing for cyanide was not performed.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine was conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector and a representative from the airplane kit manufacturer.

Airframe

Initial examination revealed that the airframe was heavily twisted. The airframe tubing sustained numerous fracture separations that were consistent with structural overload. Control continuity was established throughout the airframe with no anomalies noted. The ballistic recovery parachute system was intact and the handle was partially dislodged from the stowed position. The five gallon fuel tank was found ruptured and empty.

Engine

The engine was found mostly intact. Of the three propeller blades, two blades were intact and one was separated about 7 inches from the hub. The spark plugs were removed from the engine; they all showed similar wear patterns and showed no indications of misfiring. The engine was manually rotated by the propeller; it rotated smoothly with no anomalies noted.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and subsequently experiencing an aerodynamic stall and spin at a low altitude.