NTSB Factual Report

On October 5, 2009, about 1250 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Case RV-6, N455RC, experienced the pilot’s loss of control in flight and collided with trees near Magnolia, North Carolina. The private pilot was killed and the airplane was substantially damaged. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight departed from the Wilmington International Airport (ILM), Wilmington, North Carolina at 1227; destined for Franklin County Airport (LHZ), Louisburg, North Carolina.

According to personnel at the Wilmington, North Carolina air traffic control tower (ATCT), the pilot radioed in at 1232, and requested to divert to the west to stay clear of some rain. Wilmington ATCT acknowledged the request and advised the pilot to deviate as requested around the weather. At 1246, the pilot contacted personnel at Seymour Johnson Airforce approach control and advised that he was "in the thick of the weather." At 1248, Seymour Johnson Airforce approach control observed the airplane on radar at 1,500 feet, circling before being lost off of radar.

According to a witness, he was looking out of his window when he saw the airplane spinning out of the clouds towards the ground. The witness added that as the airplane "spun," the engine made a sputtering noise before colliding with the ground. The witness also reported that it was raining heavily at the time of the accident.

The pilot, age 62, held a private pilot certificate, with ratings for airplane single-engine land and sea. His certificate was issued on April 13, 2008. The pilot's most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued January 22, 2009, with limitations for corrective lenses. Review of the pilot's logbook revealed that he had 270 flight hours total time and 30 flight hours total time in the accident airplane.

The two seat, low-wing, fixed gear airplane was manufactured in 2007. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160-horsepower engine. Review of the aircraft logbook pages revealed that the last annual inspection was conducted on August 19, 2009, at a total time of 93 hours.

The ILM 1248 weather observation reported: winds 020 at 7 knots, visibility 7 miles in light rain, ceiling 300 feet broken, 2,500 feet broken, 7,000 feet overcast, with rain and mist, temperature 17 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 16 degrees C, and altimeter setting of 30.07 inches of mercury. According to the FAA Air Traffic Control Service personnel there were no records of any communication with the flight service station (FSS) or entries made in the direct user access terminal system (DUATS) prior to pilot's flight.

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane collided with heavy brush. Examination of the airframe and flight control system components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. Examination of the recovered engine and system components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. The propeller blades displayed chordwise scoring across the leading edge and forward face.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, conducted the postmortem examination of the pilot on October 7, 2009. The reported cause of death was massive trauma with crush injury and multiple fractures.

Forensic toxicology was performed on specimens from the pilot by the Federal Aviation Administration Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The toxicology report stated no ethanol was detected in the liver or muscle, and no drugs were detected in the liver.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meterological conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight evaluation of the weather.