WALSH PHILIP J SEA REY — Huntsville, AR

What happened

The pilot made adjustments to the pitch on his experimental single-engine airplane's propeller and subsequently departed. On the first takeoff, the airplane was observed flying low over the runway for approximately 2,000 feet before it landed back on the runway. The pilot taxied back to the departure end of the runway and departed again. A witness said that, when the airplane was adjacent to a windsock located on the runway, the airplane made a sharp right turn over a parking area. It then turned southeast before making another right turn. The airplane then stalled, became inverted, and collided with the ground at a 45-degree angle. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preaccident mechanical anomalies.

The pilot had reportedly been having trouble sleeping due to a painful spider bite and toxicology testing was consistent with relatively recent use of an over-the-counter multi-symptom cold medication containing an antihistamine with impairing effects. While impairment or distraction due to fatigue, uncomfortable symptoms, and/or medication may have adversely affected the pilot's performance and judgment while working on the airplane, piloting the airplane, and/or during the response to an actual or perceived emergency, the investigation was unable to determine that impairment was a factor in the accident.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.