N729AR

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 31, 2014, about 1834 central daylight time, a Schafer Foxtrot 4, experimental, amateur-built, single-engine airplane, N729AR, was destroyed after impacting terrain during initial climb near Abilene Regional Airport (ABI), Abilene, Texas. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, a second passenger was seriously injured, and a 2-year old child sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. Day visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Part 91 personal flight. At the time of the accident the airplane was departing ABI for a local flight.

The airplane had departed ABI runway 17R to the south and was about 400 feet above ground level (agl) when the pilot declared an emergency and reported to the tower controller that he needed to return. Witnesses saw the southbound airplane in a steep left bank and several witnesses heard the sounds of impact. The airplane was generally northbound when it impacted mesquite trees and terrain about one mile south of the airport. The impact resulted in the complete separation from the fuselage of the forward fuselage, engine and propeller. The wing was also completely separated from the fuselage and both wing fuel tanks were compromised. All three adult occupants were ejected or partially ejected. The child in the rear seat remained restrained by a 4-point safety harness and was removed from the wreckage by emergency responders who arrived quickly. There was a fuel spill at the scene, but no postimpact fire.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 35, was a career active duty officer in the United States Air Force (USAF). He was rated as a Senior Pilot and was then assigned on active flight status as a military instructor pilot. He held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial pilot certificate with a rating in airplane multiengine land limited to center thrust, a rating in instrument airplane, and a rating in airplane single engine land limited to private pilot privileges. The pilot also held a current FAA instructor pilot certificate with a rating in only instrument airplane.

Complete copies of the pilot's personal flight records were not available for examination by the NTSB during the course of the investigation. The investigator-in-charge was able to review six selected pages of the pilot's personal logbook, the aircraft logbook, the engine logbook, FAA and USAF documents and other records. The pilot's flight experience on August 31, 2014, was estimated as a total of 2,594 hours of flight experience in all airplanes, with an assumed total of more than 2,000 hours in military airplanes. The pilot's flight experience in a Foxtrot 4 airplane was estimated as a total of 23 hours, with all of that experience being within the previous three months.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The low wing, fixed tricycle landing gear, single-engine airplane, serial number (s/n) F-008, was powered by a 300-horsepower Lycoming IO-540-K1H3 fuel injected engine, s/n L-22038-48, which drove a McCauley model B3D36C431-C, 3-blade aluminum alloy controllable pitch propeller, s/n 040071.

The airplane had a cantilever low-wing with conventional tail surfaces, and a four-seat enclosed cockpit which was accessed through "gull-wing" doors on both the left and right sides of the front cockpit seats. The aircraft structure was made mostly from composites with the fuselage halves molded as single pieces. The kit manufacturer's website described the airplane as having an expected empty weight of about 1,750 pounds, a maximum gross weight of 3,200 pounds, and an expected stall speed in the landing configuration of about 58 knots.

FAA records show the airplane was completed by the pilot, with assistance from the kit-builder, as a kit-built airplane. On June 10, 2014, it was issued an FAA special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category as an amateur built airplane with a requirement for the next annual condition inspection due on June 30, 2015.

Entries in the aircraft logbook showed that the first recorded flight in N729AR was by a Team Tango employee on June 11, 2014, at a beginning aircraft total time of 0.0 hours. Based on a review of entries in the aircraft logbook, the engine logbook, pilot logbook entries and other records, the IIC estimated the total flight times on August 31, 2014, as: aircraft total time 53.0 hours; engine total time 1,498.5 hours; and engine total time since major overhaul 362.5 hours.

Records show that N729AR flew from Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR), Columbus, Mississippi to San Marcos Municipal Airport (HYI), San Marcos, Texas, on August 29, 2014. Refueling records at HYI showed the airplane was refueled on that day with 65.80 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 1752 the Automated Surface Observation System at ABI reported wind from 150 degrees at 12 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 7,500 feet, temperature 36 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 17 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.87 inches of mercury.

Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that, at the accident location, at 1834, the altitude of the sun was about 18 degrees above the horizon and the azimuth of the sun was about 269 degrees. Apparent sunset occurred at 2006.

COMMUNICATIONS AND RADAR

Following is a timeline of selected communications between the pilot of N729AR and FAA Air Traffic Control (ATC), including a summary of selected FAA ATC radar contacts.

1755 N729AR landed at ABI after a flight from HYI. All ATC services with the inbound flight appeared to be normal and N729AR taxied to Abilene Aero, the general aviation fixed base operator, located east of taxiway C2 and west of the control tower.

1827:33 N729AR requested taxi instructions from Abilene Aero, to runway 17R at taxiway C3 for an intersection takeoff. The controller instructed the pilot to taxi via taxiway C. The pilot correctly read back the instructions and advised he would be operating west of the airfield in the local area for about 15 minutes before returning to ABI.

1832:01 N729AR was at taxiway C3 and runway 17R and advised he was ready for departure.

1832:19 The controller cleared N729AR for takeoff; the pilot read back the takeoff clearance and repeated that he would be staying in the local before returning to ABI.

1833:03 Radar showed a primary target over the runway abeam taxiway C2.

1833:22 Radar showed the primary target was southbound.

1833:27 Radar showed the primary target was southbound.

1833:32 Radar began receiving the Mode 3 code of 0322 and showed N729AR was southbound at a transponder reported altitude of 2,100 feet mean sea level (msl).

1833:37 Radar showed N729AR was southbound at a transponder reported altitude of 2,100 feet msl.

1833:41 Radar showed N729AR was beginning a left turn at a transponder reported altitude of 2,200 feet msl.

1833:42 N729AR transmitted: "tower experimental seven two nine alpha romeo ah emergency landing one seven right opposite direction".

There were no further communications from N729AR.

1833:46 Radar showed N729AR was in a left turn at a transponder reported altitude of 2,100 feet msl.

1833:51 Radar showed N729AR was in a left turn at a transponder reported altitude of 2,000 feet msl.

Radar contact was then lost.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

The FAA Airport/ Facility Directory, South Central U. S., indicated that ABI was a towered airport with a field elevation of 1,790 feet msl. The longest runway was 17R/35L, which was a grooved asphalt runway 7,203 feet long by 150 feet wide. Runway 17R was oriented to 180 degrees true and 172 degrees magnetic. Records show that runway 17R had a 0.4 percent upslope gradient to the south. Other runways at ABI were also listed.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane impacted 15 to 20-foot-tall mesquite trees and terrain on flat ranch lands at an estimated terrain elevation of about 1,755 feet msl. The impact location was about 2,500 feet south from the departure end of runway 17R.

Evidence at the scene showed that the airplane was moving to the north-northwest when it impacted terrain in a slightly nose down attitude with the right wing low. The first impact was to an upper branch of a mesquite tree at about 11 feet agl. The next impact was a ground scar about 16 feet away at an estimated angle of about 35 degrees from the horizontal. An uprooted mesquite tree about 28 feet from the initial tree impact showed evidence of a nearly vertical slice in its trunk at an angle to the first tree impact estimated about 12 degrees from the horizontal. The separated propeller spinner was found nearby. Other ground scars, wreckage debris and numerous broken branches littered the area on a wreckage distribution path of about 330 degrees. Several trees were completely uprooted by the impact. The main wreckage came to rest about 140 feet from the initial tree impact. The completely separated forward part of the fuselage, including the attached engine and propeller, came to rest about 195 feet from the initial tree impact.

The instrument panel and forward cockpit, including both front cockpit seats, were completely separated from the main fuselage and fragmented parts littered the wreckage distribution path leading to the main wreckage. The entire wing was completely separated from the fuselage and came to rest inverted with the left wing tip oriented to the south. Both integral wing fuel tanks were completely breached. The main part of the fuselage came to rest upright on top of the separated wing. The tail surfaces and aft empennage remained attached to each other, but were completely separated from the fuselage behind the rear cabin bulkhead and came to rest about 45 feet southeast from the main wreckage. Parts of the engine cowling, other fragmented parts, and a noticeable amount of engine oil l...