NTSB Factual Report

On April 26, 2014, about 1015 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur built NBB INC, Glasair III airplane, N911EX was destroyed by impact with terrain and a postcrash fire, about 20 miles southeast of Young, Arizona. The airplane was registered to and being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions were reported in the area of the accident, and the non-instrument rated, solo, private pilot received fatal injuries. No flight plan was filed for the flight which departed Lea County Airport (KHOB), Hobbs, New Mexico about 0930. The airplane was bound for Falcon Field (KFFZ), Mesa, Arizona.

On April 26, about 1300 Pacific daylight time, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) was notified by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technician from the Western Pacific Regional Operations Center that the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) at Albuquerque, New Mexico had been in contact with the accident airplane. The technician reported that the accident airplane pilot had declared an emergency, stating that he was trapped underneath a cloud layer in mountainous terrain, and that the visibility was deteriorating. The ARTCC controller attempted to direct the accident airplane to San Carlos Apache Airport (P13), Globe, Arizona. Contact with the airplane was lost, and an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued.

About 1800 the IIC was notified that the airplane's wreckage had been located in remote mountainous terrain, about 20 miles southeast of Young.

The airplane had been at Falcon Field (KFFZ), Mesa, AZ, for an extensive conditional inspection and upgrades. While awaiting parts for the upgrades, the pilot flew the airplane to Hobbs to visit friends, and on the day of the accident was returning to Mesa to complete the upgrades.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The 68 year old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He was issued a third-class airman medical certificate on May 23, 2013, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses.

No personal flight records were discovered for the pilot, and the aeronautical experience listed was obtained from a review of the airman's FAA records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center in Oklahoma City. On the pilot's last application for medical certificate, dated May 23, 2013, he indicated that his total aeronautical experience consisted of about 970 hours, of which he listed 21 hours were accrued in the previous 6 months.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was an experimental amateur-built, Glasair III, with retractable landing gear, a Lycoming IO-540 series engine and controllable pitch propeller, completed in 1999. The pilot was not the builder of the airplane.

No Airframe or engine logbooks were discovered for examination, and were believed to be onboard the airplane during the post-crash fire. An extensive conditional inspection had been completed 3 days prior to the accident on April 22, 2014. At the time of the inspection the airplane had accrued 255 total flight hours since its completion.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

There was no record of the pilot obtaining an "official" weather briefing through a flight service station or similar service, prior to departing on the accident flight.

The weather synopsis valid for the area of the accident during the time period, reported broken cloud layers from 7,000-9,000 feet, and 13,000 feet with tops at 18,000 feet, wind southwesterly gusting to 35 knots, and visibility occasionally 3-5 statute miles in light rain or snow showers.

The following weather information is a synopsis of weather observations from automated systems at various airports.

Near the time of the accident, the Show Low (KSOW) weather was reported as wind 240 at 18 gusting to 24, visibility 3/4 mile in snow, and ceiling of 100 feet. A Beech 1900 attempting an instrument approach into Show Low executed a missed approach, and left the area.

The airport at Globe (San Carlos Apache Airport P13) was reporting, wind 240 at 21 gusting to 32, visibility greater than 10 miles, and few clouds at 5,000 feet.

Weather in the Phoenix area showed varying broken cloud layers and VFR visibilities.

COMMUNICATIONS

The pilot initially contacted the Albuquerque ARTCC, and reported that he was trapped underneath an overcast in mountainous terrain, and that the visibility was deteriorating. The air route traffic controller responded to the pilot, and received a global positioning system (GPS) position coordinate from the pilot. After the initial contact, the controller was unable to make further direct contact with the pilot, and initiated a relayed conversation with the pilot using high flying aircraft (airlines) flying high over the position reported by the pilot.

The NTSB IIC auditioned a recording and a transcript of the recorded conversation between the ARTCC controller and the pilot of N911EX, was provided by the FAA.

At 0951:17, N911EX made the first radio contact with the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) at Albuquerque, New Mexico. Following just a few exchanges, the Center controller lost direct communications with N911EX, and a relay of information began using high flying IFR aircraft transiting the area. As relaying aircraft left the area, and new aircraft entered, the relay was handed off to the new aircraft. During the next 25+ minutes, and for 30 minutes after all contact was lost with N911EX, no less than 2 ground controllers and 17 aircraft were used in the relay process. The last radio contact with N911EX occurred at 1013:58. The following is a brief synopsis of the communications with N911EX:

0951 First contact with Albuquerque Center (ABQ). N911EX, Pilot was heard by the ABQ controller, then direct contact was lost

0952 ABQ established contact with N911EX via relay from overhead aircraft

0953 N911EX reported that he was below clouds at 6,900 feet has declared an emergency, 3 hours of fuel remaining, his position was N33.57.79, W110.39.68, in MVFR with deteriorating visibility, 40 SE of Show Low (KSOW), Relayed by (Delta Flight)

0953 N911EX wants to go to Show Low Airport (KSOW) but would have to climb into the clouds to get there, he is a VFR pilot, he cannot be heard by ABQ, relayed by (Delta Flight)

0954 Delta can no longer hear N911EX

0955 ABQ asks (American Flight) to attempt contact with N911EX

0956 N911EX now at 5,500, MVFR, pilot can be heard on recording, but not by ABQ, messages relayed by (United Flight)

0957 ABQ asks for 911EX position relative to KSOW, relayed by (United Flight)

0957 N911EX nearest VOR is IWA

0958 N911EX pilot advised 62 miles from IWA, relayed by (United Flight)

1001 ABQ asked (United Flight) to relay Globe AZ (P13) weather at Globe to N911EX, Globe was the nearest airport reporting VFR

1002 (United Flight) attempted to relay weather, unable to contact N911EX

1003 (Delta Flight) second failed attempt to contact N911EX with Globe weather

1004 (Delta Flight) contact reestablished

1005 (Delta Flight) weather relayed, N911EX advised he could not get to Globe VFR

1006 N911EX is heard saying he is a VFR pilot and will need help getting to Globe

1007 ABQ can hear pilot, and asks DME from IWA. N911EX says 60 miles, he is closer to KSOW and wants to go there.

1008 ABQ advises that KSOW is reporting IMC, Beech 1900 missed approach at KSOW and headed back to Phoenix

1008 N911EX asks if he can go to Phoenix (KIAW), ABQ will check weather at KIAW, N911EX advises that he needs to land, ABQ advises that Globe is the closest airport reporting VFR

1009 N911EX will head for Globe, but will need help getting there.

1010 ABQ asks N911EX what color his airplane is, N911EX replied white

1010 ABQ advises an aircraft in the vicinity if VFR to look for N911EX

1013: N911EX attempting to contact ABQ, but ABQ can no longer hear him, relayed by (unknown)

1013: Aircraft in the vicinity advises ABQ that they are IMC/ no joy on N911EX

1014: ABQ unable to contact N911EX, asks (red stripe 121) to relay, negative contact

1016: ABQ still unable to contact N911EX, (red stripe 121) unable to contact N911EX

1017: ABQ asks (Delta Flight) to attempt contact with N911EX, negative contact

1019: (Delta Flight) advises still unable to contact N911EX

1020: ABQ and (Delta Flight) unable to contact N911EX

1021: ABQ requests (394 HA) to attempt contact with N911EX, negative contact

1022: (394 HA) reports still no contact

1023: ABQ asks (Air Canada) to attempt contact with N911EX, negative contact

Attempts to contact N911EX continued for about 30 minutes using various aircraft, center and UNICOM frequencies. No further communication was heard from N911EX.

Although given a discreet code to squawk on his transponder, N911EX never appears on the ARTCC scope.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

On April 27, the NTSB IIC, accompanied by a second NTSB investigator and an FAA aviation safety inspector, examined the airplane wreckage at the accident site. The site was located in remote, rugged, mountainous terrain, about 5,000 feet in elevation. The debris field was on a steep west facing slope, and about 70 feet in diameter. The west-facing impact slope lead down into a narrow valley/canyon. At the bottom of the valley/canyon was a dried creek bed and dirt road which ran north-south. Beyond the canyon to the west was steep ascending mountainous terrain. To the east of the wreckage site was steep ascending mountainous terrain.

The airplane impacted a rock outcrop in a steep nose-low attitude, the wings were parallel to the terrain, and the airplane was facing downhill during impact. Following the impact the airplane toppled over, inverted, with the tail pointing downhill. All of the airplane's major structural components and control surfaces were identified. The wreckage was extensively burned, and control continuity was not established.

The engine had impacted on a rock surface and both the rock and the engine crankcase were fractured. The crankshaft and camshaft were fractured and liberated from the fractured engine case, along with the engine's cylinders.

Exhaust manifold pieces were located and showed signs of hot-metal folding.

Both blades of the, two-blade, constant-speed propeller were located and examined. Both blades exhibited major torsional twisting and leading edge gouging. One blade had 4-6 inches of the blade tip snapped off. Both blades were liberated from the propeller hub and the pitch was not determined.

Engine and flight controls had melted in the postcrash fire and their positions were not determined.

The navigation and communications panels/equipment was melted and the settings were not determined.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

A postmortem examination of the pilot was performed under the authority of the Gila County, Office of the Medical Examiner, Payson, Arizona, on April 28 2014. The examination determined that the cause of death was attributed to multiple blunt force trauma, and the manner of death was an accident.

Toxicology was performed at the Mike Monroney Aeromedical Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on June 12, 2014. Rosuvastatin was found in both the Muscle and Liver. A review of the medical/toxicological information by NTSB medical personnel determined that it is unlikely that medical issues contributed to this accident.

NTSB Probable Cause

The noninstrument-rated pilot’s decision to enter instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the loss of airplane control.