N3AZ

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 31, 2014, about 0857 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Zimmerman Breezy airplane, N3AZ, exited runway 36R at the Wittman Regional Airport (OSH), near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and impacted parked vehicles east of the runway. A ground fire subsequently occurred. The pilot was fatally injured and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial wing and fuselage damage. The airplane was registered to A Z Air Lease Inc. and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as personal flight. Day visual flight rules conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a flight plan. The local flight originated from OSH.

The rear seat passenger was a volunteer at Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Airventure Oshkosh 2014. She asked for a ride in the Breezy. During an interview, she said that Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and volunteer staff get priority for flights. She stated that prior to the ride she signed a waiver in reference to the flight and recalled getting a safety brief on where to keep hands and feet placed. The brief included a warning not to have loose items. When asked how she was told to sit, she replied that she was told to keep feet on either side of seat and not to interfere with the control stick. She indicated the stick was marked, "Do not touch." She further said that she was told to keep her hands on her lap. She reported she wore headphones during the flight, which lasted about 10 minutes and subsequently said that it was a great flight. She reported that the airplane landed and indicated that it was a good landing. The airplane turned immediately to the right. The pilot pulled up and was able to land the plane for a second time, which was a good landing as well. The pilot pulled up and went in for another landing. The airplane turned right again. She stated that the airplane hit a taxiway light. She felt the lenses from the taxiway light hit her leg. She recalled seeing a truck and the airplane pull up. She thought the airplane was not going to clear the truck. She recalled that the airplane hit the truck and felt being separated from the airplane. She recalled flying through the air and waking up on the ground. She could not move her left arm and remembered asking for help. She then remembered waking up in the ambulance.

A pilot in the airplane trailing the Breezy stated that he was cleared to land while flying a left base to runway 36R from FISKE [an intersection south of OSH]. He saw two airplanes in front of his airplane. One was a white or light colored high wing airplane that was just turning from a right base to final for 36R, and the second was a high wing airplane, a Breezy, on right downwind. He turned final behind the Breezy. The controller was giving instructions to the high wing and the Breezy. It appeared to the pilot that the controller was concerned about the high wing airplane and Breezy spacing and the fact that his airplane was a faster airplane behind both of them. The controller referred to the pilot's airplane as a Mooney, which the pilot did not "pick up on right away." However, his passenger did recognize the reference to Mooney. When the pilot was on short final, he heard the controller tell the Breezy to "pick it up a bit" or words to that affect, and that a Mooney was behind him. The pilot's statement, in part, said:

At that point, just prior to my touching down on the numbers, the

Breezy became airborne again and flew no more than 10 feet off the

ground for a couple hundred feet. Once I was on the ground, I heard

the controller tell the Breezy he could set it down. The Breezy landed

again, and quickly veered to the left, but stayed on the runway. The

Breezy then corrected his ground track and appeared to be back on the

centerline for a short time before veering off the right side of the

runway and onto the grass. He seemed to correct his course again and

was able to travel straight ahead and in parallel with the runway but on

the grass for a short time, but he then became airborne again. He left

the ground and travelled nose high and right wing low towards the east

where a row of military vehicles were parked. These vehicles were

facing the airport and in a row paralleling the runway from north to

south.

As the Breezy attempted to clear the military vehicles in a nose high

attitude, it appeared that the tail of the aircraft hit a vehicle causing the

aircraft to flip over. The aircraft became to rest on its back on top of the

military vehicles. I was about 100 yards behind the Breezy at the time

he impacted the vehicles. As we taxied by the Breezy I could see a small

fire had started away from the aircraft to the north east approximately

20 feet or so. I did see the pilot hanging upside down in his harness still

attached to the aircraft. I only saw his upper torso and legs. I did not see

his head. I also did not see the passenger and was unaware there was

one until later that day.

I did not see anything fall off the Breezy during the time it was flying or

on the ground prior to it hitting the military vehicle. I saw no debris on

the runway. I lost sight of the light colored high wing just prior to

touching down.

The airplane impacted parked armored Oshkosh vehicles and a ground fire occurred where the airplane came to rest. First responders extinguished the fire and transported the pilot and passenger to local hospitals. The pilot subsequently died from the injuries sustained during the accident. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe 74-year-old pilot held a FAA commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, single-engine sea, glider, and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot held a FAA third-class medical certificate, dated May 21, 2014, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. On the application for that certificate, he reported that he had accumulated 2,490 hours of total flight time and 15 hours of flight time in six months prior to the medical certificate. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONN3AZ was an experimental amateur-built Zimmerman Breezy high-wing, propeller-driven, fixed landing gear, tandem two-seat airplane with serial number JD1. A review of the airplane's logbooks revealed that the airplane had accumulated a total time of 1,230.6 hours at the last condition inspection, dated July 10, 2014, which was endorsed by the airplane builder who held a repairman certificate for the accident airplane. The airplane was powered by a Lycoming O-235-C1 with serial number 5795-15. The engine data plate indicated that it was rated at 108 horsepower at 2,600 rpm. The logbook endorsement revealed that the engine had accumulated 94.2 hours total time at the last condition inspection. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONAt 0853, the recorded weather at OSH was: Wind 300 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 20 degrees C; dew point 16 degrees C; altimeter 30.00 inches of mercury. AIRPORT INFORMATIONN3AZ was an experimental amateur-built Zimmerman Breezy high-wing, propeller-driven, fixed landing gear, tandem two-seat airplane with serial number JD1. A review of the airplane's logbooks revealed that the airplane had accumulated a total time of 1,230.6 hours at the last condition inspection, dated July 10, 2014, which was endorsed by the airplane builder who held a repairman certificate for the accident airplane. The airplane was powered by a Lycoming O-235-C1 with serial number 5795-15. The engine data plate indicated that it was rated at 108 horsepower at 2,600 rpm. The logbook endorsement revealed that the engine had accumulated 94.2 hours total time at the last condition inspection. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe airplane fuselage was found resting on its right side on the rear section of an armored Oshkosh vehicle parked in a grass area east of runway 36R and north of the A4 taxiway. This armored vehicle's rear passenger-side tire and chassis was charred and discolored. Other armored Oshkosh vehicles parked south of this vehicle exhibited witness marks that were oriented in the direction of the resting fuselage. Debris, consisting of pieces of fuselage frame tubing, a section of left main landing gear structure, and laminated wood shards, were located between the other armored vehicles and the airplane fuselage.

The airplane's right wing, engine, and right main landing gear structure were found resting on the ground behind the charred rear passenger-side tire. The right wing was fabric was consumed by fire and its aileron control cables were traced to its bellcrank. The engine throttle linkage was intact and the mixture control was safety wired in the full rich position. The carburetor heat linkage was intact on the intake bracket. The wooden propeller hub remained attached to the engine propeller flange. However, its blades were not in place.

The left wing separated from the fuselage and was found about 25 feet north of the fuselage. Its aileron control cable ends were found outside the wing, separated in a broomstraw appearance consistent with overload. The aileron moved when the separated cables were pulled by hand. The empennage separated from the fuselage and the empennage was found about 55 feet north of the fuselage.

Flight control cables were traced and all observed breaks were consistent with overload. Examination of the engine controls cables revealed no pre-impact anomalies.

An examination of runway 36R revealed no debris or separated parts on the runway. The grass infield area east of runway 36R and north of the A4 taxiway exhibited a path of disturbed grass from the edge of the runway through the infield in a northeast direction toward parked armored Oshkosh vehicles. There was a section of runway abeam the start of the path in the grass that exhibited a depression consistent with spalling. An airport edge light consistent with a taxiway light was...