N501GP

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 8, 2014, about 1516 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur built Backovich GP-5 airplane, N501GP, was destroyed when it impacted terrain following an in-flight breakup while conducting a practice race at the Reno-Stead Airport (RTS) Reno, Nevada. The airplane was registered to Lancair Northwest LLC, Portland, Oregon, and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the air race flight. The local flight originated from RTS about 5 minutes prior to the accident.

Photographic and video evidence was obtained from spectators that captured the accident sequence. The evidence showed that the airplane was established in a left bank when a portion of the outboard right wing separated. The airplane began rolling to the right and descended to impact with the ground. The empennage fragmented and separated as the airplane was rolling and descending.

Information provided by the Reno Air Race Association (RARA) revealed that the accident airplane had flown earlier in the day prior to the accident. During this flight, the pilot initiated a mayday call and landed due to a vibration, which he felt was due to reaching the engine rev limiter. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 63, held a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land, airplane single-engine sea, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings. A second-class airman medical certificate was issued to the pilot on May 14, 2014, with the limitation stated "must have corrective lenses for distant and near vision." The pilot reported on his air races entry packet, dated July 18, 2014, that he had accumulated over 9,000 hours of total flight time, 35 hours within the previous 90 days, and 120 hours in the accident make/model airplane. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe experimental amateur-built single-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear, tailwheel equipped airplane, serial number (S/N) 001, was completed in 2002. It was powered by a Chevrolet V8 engine, rated at 625 horse power. The airplane was also equipped with a three bladed adjustable pitch propeller. The Backovich GP-5 airplane was designed by a private individual specifically for air racing and was completed in 2011 in its current configuration. The one-of-a-kind airplane was 24 feet, 2 inches long with a wing span of 22 feet, 2 inches. The airplane was manufactured with wood primary structure and had a fiberglass overwrap layer on the exterior surfaces. No design drawings or engineering documents exist for the airplane.

The airplane was originally completed in 2002 and received a special airworthiness certificate on December 30, 2002, in the experimental category with registration number N153GB. The accident pilot flew the airplane in the 2010 National Championship Air Races (NCAR) and subsequently purchased the airplane on behalf of Lancair Northwest, LLC, on October 6, 2010. The airplane registration number was changed to N501GP on November 12, 2011. The airplane received a new special airworthiness certificate on July 10, 2012, in the experimental category with experimental operating limitations for phase 1 and phase 2. The airplane was entered and raced in the 2012 NCAR where it placed fourth. It was not entered in the 2011 or 2013 NCAR.

The airframe logbook had numerous entries from its beginning on November 28, 2002, through September 15, 2010, when the last entry was made before the sale. The airframe had accrued 41.5 hours time in service (TIS) by this date. The entries detailed ongoing issues with the engine and numerous test flights. An entry on August 7, 2010, certified that the flight testing was complete at 40.25 hours TIS.

The first entry after the sale was made on January 26, 2012, in which a new electrical system, engine mount, engine, and avionics was installed at 42.5 hours TIS. A condition inspection was also completed at this time. Four additional logbook entries were made before the accident date. On February 5, 2013, work was documented on the landing gear and a condition inspection was signed off at 98.0 hours TIS. On March 18, 2014, work was documented to repair cracks in the left wing lower skin and repair the elevator bellcrank bulkhead. A condition inspection was signed off at 128.2 hours TIS. On September 2, 2014, work was documented to repair cracks in the right wing lower skin and to tighten and re-safety a bolt on the right aileron bellcrank. The condition inspection was signed off at 128.2 hours TIS. On September 3, 2014, work was documented on the tail wheel at an unknown TIS.

The engine logbook documented the installation of the engine on January 26, 2012, with a tach time of 0.0 hours. A total of 4 entries in the engine logbook documented minor maintenance and condition inspections of the engine that matched dates on 4 of the entries in the airframe logbook. Three of the engine entries contained tach times that matched with the tach time reported in the airframe logbook but the corresponding increase in airframe time did not correlate.

The propeller logbook documented the installation of the propeller on January 2, 2012, with a total time of 0.0 hours. Three additional entries in the propeller logbook documented condition inspections of the propeller that matched dated entries in the airframe and engine logbooks. The propeller total time entered on February 5, 2013, did not correlate with either the airframe or engine times. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONA review of recorded data from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport automated weather observation station, located about 14 miles south of the accident site, revealed at 1455, conditions were wind from 200 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 21 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, a scattered cloud layer at 10,000 feet, temperature 30 degrees Celsius, dew point -2 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.91 inches of mercury. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe experimental amateur-built single-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear, tailwheel equipped airplane, serial number (S/N) 001, was completed in 2002. It was powered by a Chevrolet V8 engine, rated at 625 horse power. The airplane was also equipped with a three bladed adjustable pitch propeller. The Backovich GP-5 airplane was designed by a private individual specifically for air racing and was completed in 2011 in its current configuration. The one-of-a-kind airplane was 24 feet, 2 inches long with a wing span of 22 feet, 2 inches. The airplane was manufactured with wood primary structure and had a fiberglass overwrap layer on the exterior surfaces. No design drawings or engineering documents exist for the airplane.

The airplane was originally completed in 2002 and received a special airworthiness certificate on December 30, 2002, in the experimental category with registration number N153GB. The accident pilot flew the airplane in the 2010 National Championship Air Races (NCAR) and subsequently purchased the airplane on behalf of Lancair Northwest, LLC, on October 6, 2010. The airplane registration number was changed to N501GP on November 12, 2011. The airplane received a new special airworthiness certificate on July 10, 2012, in the experimental category with experimental operating limitations for phase 1 and phase 2. The airplane was entered and raced in the 2012 NCAR where it placed fourth. It was not entered in the 2011 or 2013 NCAR.

The airframe logbook had numerous entries from its beginning on November 28, 2002, through September 15, 2010, when the last entry was made before the sale. The airframe had accrued 41.5 hours time in service (TIS) by this date. The entries detailed ongoing issues with the engine and numerous test flights. An entry on August 7, 2010, certified that the flight testing was complete at 40.25 hours TIS.

The first entry after the sale was made on January 26, 2012, in which a new electrical system, engine mount, engine, and avionics was installed at 42.5 hours TIS. A condition inspection was also completed at this time. Four additional logbook entries were made before the accident date. On February 5, 2013, work was documented on the landing gear and a condition inspection was signed off at 98.0 hours TIS. On March 18, 2014, work was documented to repair cracks in the left wing lower skin and repair the elevator bellcrank bulkhead. A condition inspection was signed off at 128.2 hours TIS. On September 2, 2014, work was documented to repair cracks in the right wing lower skin and to tighten and re-safety a bolt on the right aileron bellcrank. The condition inspection was signed off at 128.2 hours TIS. On September 3, 2014, work was documented on the tail wheel at an unknown TIS.

The engine logbook documented the installation of the engine on January 26, 2012, with a tach time of 0.0 hours. A total of 4 entries in the engine logbook documented minor maintenance and condition inspections of the engine that matched dates on 4 of the entries in the airframe logbook. Three of the engine entries contained tach times that matched with the tach time reported in the airframe logbook but the corresponding increase in airframe time did not correlate.

The propeller logbook documented the installation of the propeller on January 2, 2012, with a total time of 0.0 hours. Three additional entries in the propeller logbook documented condition inspections of the propeller that matched dated entries in the airframe and engine logbooks. The propeller total time entered on February 5, 2013, did not correlate with either the airframe or engine times. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONExamination of the accident site by representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that wreckage debris was scatted between race pylons 5 and 6 of the outer race course. All major structural components of the airplan...