N6915G

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 18, 2021, about 1845 eastern daylight time, a Rans S-20 airplane, N6915G, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at Wadsworth Municipal Airport (3G3), Wadsworth, Ohio. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

A review of airport surveillance video revealed that a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter was on approach to Runway 2 as the accident airplane taxied to the runway. According to the helicopter pilot, the accident pilot requested that the helicopter side-step to the west of the runway to facilitate the airplane’s departure.

A few seconds after the helicopter flew over the approach end of runway 2, the accident pilot taxied onto the runway and started the takeoff roll. Soon after liftoff, the airplane entered a steep roll, descended, and impacted the runway (see figure 1). A postimpact fire ensued.

Figure 1. Screenshot of airport surveillance video. Red arrow points to accident airplane.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe kit airplane was built by the pilot and the FAA granted a special airworthiness certificate in April 2021. According to maintenance records and a newsletter article written by the pilot, the airplane had a history of high engine oil and cylinder head temperatures.

AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe kit airplane was built by the pilot and the FAA granted a special airworthiness certificate in April 2021. According to maintenance records and a newsletter article written by the pilot, the airplane had a history of high engine oil and cylinder head temperatures.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONMost of the airplane was destroyed by the postcrash fire (see Figure 2).

Figure 2 – Airplane at Accident Site

Examination of the wreckage did not identify any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONAccording to the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25B), Chapter 5, Avoiding Wake Turbulence:

A helicopter generates a down wash from its main rotor(s) similar to the vortices of an airplane…In forward flight, this energy is transformed into a pair of strong, high-speed trailing vortices similar to wing-tip vortices of larger fixed-wing aircraft. Helicopter vortices should be avoided because helicopter forward flight airspeeds are often very slow and can generate exceptionally strong wake turbulence.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATIONToxicology testing performed by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol at 0.108 grams per deciliter (gm/dL) in the pilot’s blood. Ethanol was detected in his vitreous fluid at 0.119 gm/dL, urine at 0.075 gm/dL, gastric contents at 0.484 gm/dL, and liver tissue at 0.072 grams per hectogram.