NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On July 20, 2014, about 1130 central daylight time, an Oden Weldon Pat Kitfox IV Speedster, experimental amateur-built airplane, N622P, impacted terrain near Blackwell, Texas. The commercial pilot was fatally injured and the aircraft was substantially damaged. The aircraft was not registered and was privately operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at a private grass airstrip about one half mile from the accident site.

According to the pilot's wife, the pilot left for the airstrip about 1000. He mentioned he was going to adjust the carburetor on the airplane's engine. When the pilot did not return home she contacted the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) about 1822. A search by DPS located the wreckage about 2015.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane, serial number ICS 132 was manufactured in 1995. The original registration was issued on November 18, 1994. On its expiration the registration was cancelled on August 7, 2013.

The airplane was powered by one Rotax 912UL carbureted 4-cylinder horizontally opposed reciprocating engine, rated at 80 horsepower.

The airplane's Hobbs hours meter showed 549.3 hours at the accident site.

PILOT INFORMATION

The pilot, age 71, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. At his last medical examination on June 13, 2001, the pilot reported having 800 total flying hours and 25 hours within the 6 months preceding the medical examination.

The pilot's limited third-class medical certificate expired on June 30, 2003. When the certificate was valid, it showed the limitation that the pilot must wear corrective lenses for near and distance vision.

METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS

At 1055, the automated surface reporting system at Avenger Field Airport (SWW) in Sweetwater, Texas reported the following weather conditions: wind from 170 degrees true at 14 knots gusting to 18 knots, visibility 10 statute miles and clear, temperature 29 degrees Celsius, dew point 21 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 30.09 inches of mercury. KSWW is located about 22 miles north of the accident site.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane impacted in a wooded area about 5 miles west of the town of Blackwell. The airplane main wreckage contained all primary structural components and flight control surfaces. The airplane sat upright in a 60-degree nose down attitude. The airplane's right wing leading edge rested against a tree and showed impact marks and aft crushing just outboard of mid-span. The airplane's left wing was broken upward and crushed aft along its leading edge.

The engine cowling and engine were crushed aft into the firewall. The main landing gear was broken aft.

The airplane's forward cockpit was broken upward and aft and the cabin ceiling frame and top Plexiglas window were broken downward. The instrument panel was broken downward. The Plexiglas windscreen was broken out.

The airplane's fuselage aft of the rear cockpit seat was bent downward 90-degrees and twisted left about 30-degrees. The empennage and tailwheel were intact.

One of the airplane's three composite propeller blades was broken aft and under the airplane's engine. Another blade showed aft bending and the third blade showed no damage. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the flight control surfaces to their respective cockpit controls. The airplane's engine was retained for further examination. A ground impact mark was located beneath the airplane's propeller, engine, and forward cockpit area.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The results of an autopsy performed on the pilot on July 22, 2014 in Lubbock, Texas, showed the cause of death to be from blunt force injuries of the head, torso, and extremities, due to an aircraft mishap.

The FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the pilot. The results of that testing revealed the following drugs:

>> Carvedilol detected in Urine

>> Carvedilol detected in Blood (Cavity)

>> Losartan detected in Urine

>> Losartan detected in Blood (Cavity)

>> Ranitidine detected in Urine

>> Ranitidine detected in Blood (Cavity)

>> Zolpidem detected in Urine

>> Zolpidem detected in Blood (Cavity)

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The airplane's engine was examined on December 17, 2014, at Rotech Research Canada, Limited, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. The examination showed no anomalies that would have precluded the engine from producing normal power.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

According to the manufacturer, the standard Bing constant depression diaphragm carburetors were not installed on the engine. An aftermarket #32 AeroInjector throttle body system with a custom intake manifold was installed in their place. Rotax Service Letter SL-912-014 stated that the use of any third party after-market replacement kits, modifications, and non-genuine Rotax components or accessories is not approved by Rotax and may result in engine damage and/or engine failure resulting in personal injury and/or death.

Custom intake manifolds that connected the AeroInjector throttle body system to the stock Rotax intake manifolds were found to be made of material similar to exhaust tubing. The welded flanges on the manifold were of extremely poor quality. These custom intake manifolds were damaged from the ground impact. It was not determined how the intake manifolds would have affected the engine's performance, reliability, and efficiency.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's loss of airplane control following a loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.