Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB CEN11FA480
TAYLORCRAFT DCO-65 — Boyne City, MI
| Date | July 16, 2011 |
| Location | Boyne City, MI |
| Aircraft | TAYLORCRAFT DCO-65 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 84 |
| Pilot total time | 146 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | 146 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Prescription medication-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Cardiovascular-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Neurological-Pilot
What happened
Witnesses saw the airplane flying southbound between their location and the airport's runway. The engine sounded normal and was "not running rough," and the airplane's altitude was between 50 and 75 feet above ground level. One witness stated that the airplane started a left turn and then abruptly pulled up, possibly reacting to a set of nearby power lines. The airplane entered a spin and impacted the road in a nearly vertical, nose-down attitude. The postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies that could be associated with a preimpact condition. The propeller exhibited characteristics indicative of engine power at impact. The pilot had medical conditions that included atrial fibrillation, some degree of bradycardia, depression, and the use of multiple potentially sedating medications. While the pilot was likely medically impaired to some extent, the investigation was unable to determine if that impairment played a role to the accident.