N20XA

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 23, 2017, about 1420 central standard time, a light sport X-Air LLC XA85 airplane, N20XA, collided with power lines while maneuvering at low altitude near Oskaloosa, Iowa. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to the pilot who was operating it as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, departed Oskaloosa Municipal Airport (OOA), about 1345 with the intended destination of Marshalltown Municipal Airport (MIW), Marshalltown, Iowa.

The pilot's partner reported that they had driven to OOA to retrieve the airplane after the left main tire was replaced because it had deflated during a landing at OOA on December 16. The plan was for the pilot to fly the airplane back to MIW by himself. After arriving at OOA, the airplane was pulled out of the hangar for a preflight inspection. The partner noted that it was extremely cold and that the pilot taxied the airplane between 5 and 10 minutes to warm up the engine before the flight while she configured the onboard GPS to navigate to Grinnell Regional Airport, Grinnell, Iowa, an intermediate airport along the direct route to MIW. After the engine had warmed up, the pilot taxied back to the fixed base operator (FBO), where he stopped the engine and the pilot's partner exited the airplane. The pilot's partner stated that she and the airport manager watched the pilot start the airplane, taxi to the runway, and take off about 1345. She noted that the pilot had flown between OOA and MIW numerous times and that his use of the GPS to navigate would not have been necessary for the flight. She further noted that the pilot typically flew the airplane at 3,500 ft mean sea level (msl) during cruise flight.

A review of available Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control (ATC) radar data revealed no transponder or primary track data that could be correlated to the accident flight. The lower limit of ATC radar coverage in the general area of the accident site was about 2,000 ft above ground level (agl).

Several witnesses reported seeing an airplane flying at low altitude in the general area of Oskaloosa, Iowa. One witness, who was driving south on Highway 63 about 1/2 mile east of the accident site, reported seeing an airplane flying west at low altitude near 210th Street. There were no eyewitnesses to the final portion of the flight; however, an individual heard the airplane's engine from inside his residence located near the accident site. After the crash, he saw the airplane in the field outside his residence and flames from the power lines along the road. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONAccording to FAA records, the 70-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. His most recent aviation medical examination was on July 6, 2012, when he was issued a third-class medical certificate with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. On the application for that medical certificate, the pilot reported 1,610 hours of total flight experience, of which 26 hours were flown within the previous 6 months. The medical certificate expired on July 31, 2014; however, federal regulations only required the pilot to possess a valid driver's license to operate the light sport airplane. According to local law enforcement, the pilot held a valid Iowa driver's license. A search of FAA records showed no previous accidents, incidents, or enforcement proceedings.

The pilot's logbook was not located during the investigation. On June 6, 2016, the pilot reported a total flight experience of 1,806 hours on an insurance application for the accident airplane. An airplane use log recovered from the wreckage was used to calculate the pilot's recent flight experience. According to the airplane use log, he had flown 16.9, 11.7, 2.9, and 2.2 hours during the 1 year, 6 months, 90 days, and 30 days before the accident, respectively. The accident flight was about 35 minutes and was the only flight conducted within 24 hours of the accident. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe two-seat, light sport airplane, serial number XA850006, was manufactured in 2009 and was a high-wing monoplane constructed of aluminum tubes covered with fabric. The airplane was powered by an 85-horsepower, 4-cylinder, Jabiru 2200J reciprocating engine, serial number 22J795. The engine provided thrust through a ground-adjustable, two-blade, DUC Hélices Swirl propeller, serial number 5339. The airplane was equipped with fixed tricycle landing gear and wing flaps and had a maximum gross weight of 1,234 pounds. The FAA issued the light sport airplane a special airworthiness certificate and associated operating limitations on March 18, 2009.

The airplane's hour meter indicated 308.5 hours at the accident site. The most recent condition inspection of the airplane was completed on June 27, 2017, at 288.6 total airframe hours.

According to the airplane's pilot operating handbook, the expected cruise speed was about 90 mph with the engine operating at 2,900 rpm. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONA postaccident review of available meteorological data established that day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. The nearest aviation weather reporting station was located at OOA, about 12 miles southeast of the accident site. At 1415, about 5 minutes before the accident, the automated surface observing system reported wind from 350° at 9 knots, 10 miles surface visibility, a clear sky, temperature -6°C, dew point -11°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.24 inches of mercury. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe two-seat, light sport airplane, serial number XA850006, was manufactured in 2009 and was a high-wing monoplane constructed of aluminum tubes covered with fabric. The airplane was powered by an 85-horsepower, 4-cylinder, Jabiru 2200J reciprocating engine, serial number 22J795. The engine provided thrust through a ground-adjustable, two-blade, DUC Hélices Swirl propeller, serial number 5339. The airplane was equipped with fixed tricycle landing gear and wing flaps and had a maximum gross weight of 1,234 pounds. The FAA issued the light sport airplane a special airworthiness certificate and associated operating limitations on March 18, 2009.

The airplane's hour meter indicated 308.5 hours at the accident site. The most recent condition inspection of the airplane was completed on June 27, 2017, at 288.6 total airframe hours.

According to the airplane's pilot operating handbook, the expected cruise speed was about 90 mph with the engine operating at 2,900 rpm. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe accident site was located in an open agricultural field about 12 miles north-northwest of the departure airport. The initial point of impact was a power line about 35 ft above the ground. The damage to the airplane was consistent with it impacting the ground in a nose-down pitch attitude on a southerly heading. The airplane subsequently came to rest inverted in the field about 230 ft from the power line. An 80-ft section of steel-braided power line was found wrapped around the main landing gear. The nose gear had separated from the airframe. All major structural components and flight controls were identified at the accident site, and flight control continuity was confirmed. The wing flaps were found fully retracted. First responders reported that they turned the electric master switch from ON to OFF. The electric fuel pump switch was in the ON position. Both electronic ignition switches were in the ON position. The starting fuel control was in the OFF position. The carburetor heat control was in the OFF position. The cabin heat control was in the ON position. The altimeter's Kollsman window was centered on 30.24 inches of mercury. The communication radio was turned on, and the active frequency was set to the common traffic advisory frequency for the departure airport. First responders reported that they observed fuel leaking from the estimated half-full fuselage tank. The fuel tank was subsequently removed from the fuselage. The fuel selector was found in the ON position. The engine remained attached to the fuselage through its engine mounts. An external examination of the engine did not reveal any damage. The carbon-composite propeller was fragmented. The damaged propeller was removed from the engine to facilitate an operational engine test. The engine started and ran at various engine speeds without any hesitation or anomalies. The postaccident airframe examination and operational engine test revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONThe intended destination (MIW) was 65 miles north-northwest of the departure airport (OOA), and the estimated time en route was about 43 minutes based on the typical cruise airspeed (90 mph) for the airplane with no wind. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATIONThe Iowa Office of State Medical Examiner, Ankeny, Iowa, performed an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was attributed to multiple blunt force injuries. The medical examiner also identified atherosclerotic and thrombotic cardiovascular disease, and the probable component of positional asphyxia. Toxicological test results from the autopsy identified warfarin and diphenhydramine (0.062 ug/ml) in femoral blood. Clinical testing for electrolytes in vitreous were normal for postmortem results.

The autopsy identified several areas of significant natural disease. At some point previously, the pilot had had his left lung completely removed. There was a scar in his larynx. The heart was enlarged, weighing 560 grams with right ventricular dilation and a floppy mitral valve. Average heart weight for a 215-pound man is 387 grams with a range of 293 to 511 grams. There was severe coronary artery disease with 50% stenosis of the left anterior ...