NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On June 3, 2014, about 1410 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Phillips BD 4, N11DV, collided with terrain during approach to landing at Dayton Valley Airpark, Dayton, Nevada. The pilot borrowed the airplane from the owner/builder, who was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The airline transport pilot sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed during the accident sequence. The cross-country personal flight departed Minden, Nevada, about 1300, en route to Dayton. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The owner/builder reported that the pilot flew from Dayton to Minden, and added fuel. The pilot then flew to Reno, Nevada, to fly an instrument landing system approach to evaluate the glide slope indicator. On the return to Dayton, the owner was in radio contact with the pilot who called downwind for landing, and then left base to final. The pilot did not report any problems with the airplane; he said that it was flying beautifully, and all instruments were in the normal range. As the pilot transmitted turning on final, the owner saw the airplane make 2 to 2 1/2 turns in a spin before it hit the ground.

Another witness on the east end of the airport was under an awning, and first observed the airplane as it was going straight down toward the ground in a spiral. She could not hear any engine sounds. A building blocked her view of impact, and she did not hear the impact. She lived near the golf course, and noted that the wind velocity was low.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The owner reported that the 45-year-old pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane, along with a flight instructor (FI) certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot held a second-class medical certificate issued on July 19, 2013, with no limitations or waivers.

The owner reported that the pilot had a total flight time of 2,829 hours. He logged 54 hours in the previous 90 days, and 27 in the previous 30 days. He had 24 hours in this make and model, and completed a flight review on February 12, 2013.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was an experimental amateur built Phillips BD-4, serial number 333. The owner reported that the airplane had a total airframe time of 1,233 hours at the time of the accident. The most recent condition inspection was on May 18, 2014.

The engine was a Phillips built Chevrolet SM 350 automobile engine, which produced 325 horsepower. Total time on the engine was 50 hours, and time since last inspection was 1 hour.

METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS

An aviation routine weather report (METAR) for Carson City (CXP), Nevada, (elevation 4,705 feet, 9 nautical miles (nm) southwest of the accident site) was issued at 1415 PDT. It stated: wind from 310 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 21 knots; visibility 10 miles; sky clear; temperature 27/11 degrees C/F; dew point 81/12 degrees C/F; altimeter 29.97 inches of mercury.

The owner, who was a pilot, reported that the wind was from 250 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 15.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

The owner reported that Dayton Valley Airport runway 23 was 5,260 feet long and 75 feet wide. The runway surface was asphalt.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

A postmortem examination was conducted by the Washoe County Medical Examiner's office. The cause of death was reported as the effect of blunt force trauma.

The autopsy indicated that the pilot had an enlarged heart, and moderate to severe atherosclerosis of all main coronary arteries. The pathologist reported that no focal myocardial lesions were identified.

Toxicological tests on specimens recovered from the pilot were performed by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI). Refer to the toxicology report included in the public docket for specific test parameters and results. Analysis revealed a level of 10% for carbon monoxide detected in blood (cavity); it did not detect cyanide or volatiles.

The report contained the following findings for tested drugs: fexofenadine detected in urine, fexofenadine NOT detected in blood (cavity), and 55.8 (ug/ml, ug/g) salicylate detected in urine.

Fexofenadine is a non-sedating allergy medicine marketed as Allegra. According to FAA guidance, it may be used while flying if symptoms are controlled without adverse side effects after an adequate initial trial period.

Salicylate is a metabolite of aspirin.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) examined the wreckage at Plain Parts, Sacramento, California, on November 6, 2014. A detailed report may be found in the public docket for this accident via a link on the ntsb.gov home page. An examination of the wreckage did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

The airplane sustained severe crush damage. The control system had multiple disconnects, but all fracture surfaces were jagged and angular; all identified cable separations were splayed.

Investigators left the engine in place on the airframe. The bottom of the engine had upward crush damage to the oil pan, and the crankshaft would not rotate. They removed the spark plugs, and the electrodes had similar gaps. Plug number four broke at its base where it screwed into the engine.

The carburetor sustained crush damage. The throttle lever fractured at the carburetor in the threaded rod end, and the fracture surface was angular. The primary and secondary throttle valves operated freely. The mixture lever moved freely from stop to stop. The carburetor screen was clean. The floats were unremarkable.

The propeller was an IVO three-blade carbon fiber Magnum model.

One blade split along the leading and trailing edge. Its internal metal rod was bent aft, and it fractured and separated chordwise about 4 inches from the tip through 90% of the blade. One blade split along the trailing edge, and bent aft about 5 degrees. The third blade cracked perpendicular to span about 6 inches from the hub.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack during the turn onto the final base leg in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a stall/spin at too low an altitude to allow recovery.