NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On September 15, 2011, about 1705 eastern daylight time, a Remos Aircraft GMBH Flugzeugbau GX, N107GX, sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain while maneuvering over a residential area and golf course near Noblesville, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The airplane departed from Purdue University Airport (LAF), Lafayette, Indiana, about 1620.

The pilot's father had flown the airplane to LAF where the pilot took the airplane with his college roommate for the flight. The father of the pilot stated that he did not know the intended destination of the flight.

The passenger's parents home was located near the golf course belonging to the Harbour Trees Golf Club. The passenger's parents stated to police that their son had planned to fly by their house with his roommate. The passenger's parents had spoken with their son while their son was airborne and he said that they were flying by the house. The passenger's parents told their son that they were not home, but instead they were by White River Elementary and thought they were going to fly over to that location.

A witness stated that the airplane was flying about 500-600 feet above the house roof and trees. The airplane was initially level for a few seconds and then "quickly" began to descend and turn "a little left."

A second witness stated that the airplane flew from the south to the north. As the airplane approached the golf course's number 3 green, it appeared to swoop down and pull up "quickly." The witness noticed earlier that the airplane appeared to be flying "low." The airplane then flew around again and crashed nose first into the ground after it flew over a house, close to where the witness saw it "swoop" down earlier. The airplane was flying from east to west when it impacted the ground.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 21, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings.

The pilot's logbook was dated from May 21, 2009, to September 15, 2011. On August 19, 2009, he was issued a private pilot certificate at a total flight time of 58.2 hours. The next flight entry in the logbook was dated November 16, 2009, which was also the pilot's first logged flight and checkout in a Remos GX. All subsequent logbook entries listed N107GX as the aircraft flown by the pilot. On August 8, 2011, the pilot passed an instrument rating checkride. The pilot logbook showed that he accumulated a total flight time of 149.9 hours, of which 91.7 hours was Remos GX airplanes.

On May 29, 2009, the pilot failed the color vision portion of his Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman medical examination and his airman medical certificate would carry the following restriction until he passed the signal light test and received a statement of demonstrated ability waiver: "Not valid for night flying or by color signal control."

On May 29, 2009, the pilot was issued his most recent airman medical certificate which was a third class certificate with the following limitations: "Not valid for night flying or by color signal control. Must wear corrective lenses for distant vision." There were no subsequent FAA medical records indicating the removal of the restriction.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The aircraft was a 2008 Remos Aircraft GMBH Flugzeugbau Remos GX, serial number 293, airplane that was issued a special airworthiness certificate as a light-sport airplane. The airplane was registered to DB Aircraft LLC on November 9, 2009. The airplane was powered by a Rotax 912 UL-S, serial number 5651588, engine.

An airplane logbook entry dated August 31, 2011, stated that the airplane was last inspected during a "100-hour" at a Hobbs time of 477.9 hours and a total airframe time of 477.9 hours. An engine logbook entry dated August 31, 2011, stated that he engine was inspected in accordance with the "manufacturer's maintenance and inspection procedures." The engine logbook entry did not identify the type of inspection performed.

The airplane was not equipped with an optional "rescue system," which incorporates a parachute connected to the main spar in the wing/fuselage section.

According to the Remos GX Pilot Operating Handbook, Operating Limitations, the airspeed limits for minimum airspeed flaps extended (40 degrees) (Vso) was 38 knots. The minimum airspeed flaps retracted (0 degrees) was 44 knots.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The Eagle Creek Airpark (EYE), Indianapolis, Indiana, automated surface observing system (ASOS) was located about 19 nautical miles southeast of the accident site. The EYE ASOS recorded at:

1553: wind - 040 degrees at 8 knots, gusting 18 knots, variable 010 degrees to 070 degrees; visibility - 10 statute miles; sky condition - clear; temperature - 16 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 0 degrees C; altimeter - 30.29 inches of mercury (Hg).

1653: wind - 020 degrees at 9 knots; visibility - 10 statute miles; sky condition - clear; temperature - 16 degrees C, dew point 1 degrees C; altimeter - 30.29 inches Hg.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The main wreckage consisting of the fuselage, empennage, wings, control surfaces, engine, and propeller was located within the planform of the airplane. The main wreckage was resting on the edge of a sand trap and adjacent to the number 3 green at the Harbour Trees Golf Course. The elevation of the accident site was approximately 836 feet mean sea level.

The airplane was in an upright position and oriented on an approximate southerly tail to nose heading. The left wing was attached to the fuselage at the wing root. The right wing was attached at the wing root forward attach point and displaced forward of the fuselage. Both wing struts were separated at the fuselage attach point which exhibited overstress separations. Both wing leading edges displayed crushing. The left wing and forward fuselage section exhibited an approximate 45 degree crush angle. The right wing was resting at an approximately 90 degrees.

The instrument panel sustained impact damage. The magneto key switch was in the both position. The airplane was equipped with two Dynon displays and a handheld global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The displays and GPS receiver were removed for download of the nonvolatile memory by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Vehicle Recorder Division.

Examination of the flight control system revealed that all of the flight control surfaces were attached to their respective wing structures. The rudder was detached from its upper attach point to the vertical stabilizer through a fracture consistent with overload. The rudder was attached at the bottom attach point to the vertical stabilizer. The examination confirmed flight control continuity from all of the control surfaces to the cockpit controls. The flap jack screw was extended about 27 threads which equated to about 295 millimeters. According to the aircraft manufacturer, the flap jack screw extension equated to a flap extension of approximately 23 degrees.

The engine was removed and examined at Rotech Flight Safety Ltd., Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, under the supervision of the NTSB. The examination revealed that the engine sustained impact damage. There were no mechanical anomalies found with the engine during the examination. Rotational scoring within the gearbox and the ingestion of sand was consistent with engine operation at the time of impact. A liquid consistent with fuel was present within the fuel pump when it was disassembled. The liquid tested negative for water contamination. Small cracking was found on the fuel pump diaphragm on the dry side of the pump. The fuel pump was sent to the Rotax Factory for additional testing and examination; however, recorded data of fuel pressure and fuel flow is discussed in Tests and Research.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy of the pilot was conducted by the Hamilton County Coroner on September 16, 2011. The cause of death was multiple blunt traumatic injuries to the body.

The FAA Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report for the pilot stated: no carbon monoxide detected in blood, no cyanide detected in blood, 51 (mg/dL, mg/hg) ethanol detected in vitreous, no ethanol detected in urine, no ethanol detected in blood. The report notes stated that the ethanol found in this case is from sources other than ingestion. No drugs listed were detected in urine.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The nonvolatile memory from the Dynon displays contained various engine performance parameters that included fuel flow and fuel pressure. The fuel flow and pressure were above their minimum values until the end of the recorded data.

GPS data recorded at 21:04:12 (GPS time was not correlated to local time), that the airplane groundspeed decreased to 40 knots at a ground track of 32.9 degrees and a GPS altitude of 1,344 feet. The last four GPS records began showed the following:

At 21:04:37; ground speed - 61 knots; ground track - 171.1 degrees; altitude - 1,323 feet

At 21:04:40; ground speed - 52 knots; ground track - 133.9 degrees; altitude - 1,298 feet

At 21:04:43; ground speed - 35 knots; ground track - 85.6 degrees; altitude - 1,213 feet

At 21:04:45; ground speed - 24 knots; ground track - 104.3 degrees; altitude - 1,098 feet

Part 91.119, Minimum safe altitudes: General.

Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:

(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.

(b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.

(c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at a low altitude. Contributing was the pilot's decision to maneuver at an altitude below that required for congested areas, which did not afford an adequate margin for stall recovery.