VANS RV — Harrison, MI

What happened

Flight track data indicated that the airplane was on a cross-country flight in level cruise flight until track data were lost. The airplane impacted the back yard of a residence. Impact signatures indicated a 45° nose-low impact angle, consistent with an aerodynamic stall. The airplane’s wood core propeller was not splintered, indicating low or no engine power at impact. Examination of the airframe, engine, and related systems did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.

The accident site was located about 7.3 nautical miles (nm) to the east of the last recorded track and about 1 nm south of the approach end of an airport runway. The location of the accident site suggests that the pilot had diverted from his original course and was attempting to land at the nearby airport. The loss of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) flight track data and discrete radar beacon returns indicated an interruption of transmission of the data from the airplane.

Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot was diverting to the airport near the accident site. The pilot had been in communication with air traffic control, but no distress calls were received. This along with the interruption of ADS-B track data and discrete radar beacon returns suggest a possible interruption in airplane electrical power. However, loss of electrical power would not explain the lack of engine power at impact since one of the ignition systems could operate independently without aircraft electrical power.

Additionally, the distance from the final radar return to the accident site was not consistent with the achievable glide ratio of the airplane, suggesting that the engine did not lose power at the point where the final discrete beacon return was received. Therefore, the reason the airplane was diverting to the alternate airport could not be determined. The impact signatures indicated that the pilot likely failed to maintain the proper airspeed, leading to an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and subsequent aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control.

Based upon the results from the toxicology, the pilot likely had taken allergy, cold, or sleep-aid medications. However, pilot performance does not appear to be an issue. Thus, while diphenhydramine was detected during the toxicology, it is unlikely that the effects from the pilot’s use of diphenhydramine contributed to this accident.

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