Laramie, WY, USA
UNREG
Silvius Rans S-12XL
The ultra light was observed flying over a city park at a very low altitude and very slow. Several witnesses in the park reported that the pilot waved at them and was smiling. One witness said the aircraft's wings rocked several times, its nose pointed at the ground, it rotated to the right, and it crashed. No preimpact engine or airframe anomalies were identified that might have affected the airplane's performance. Toxicological analysis on two different specimens of the pilot's blood performed at two different locations indicated two substantially different levels of ethanol. No other specimens were tested for ethanol. The pilot's autopsy was conducted 3 days following the accident, and it is not possible to determine conclusively whether the ethanol reported is from ingestion or post-mortem production. A half-full bottle of alcohol was found in the pilot's vehicle. Toxicology examination also revealed high levels of diphenhydramine, an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative effects, often known by the trade name Benadryl. The pilot had been prescribed a low dose of Effexor (venlafaxine), a prescription antidepressant medication.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 6, 2003 at 1548 mountain standard time, a Silvius Rans S-12XL, a non-registered homebuilt airplane, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Optimist Park in Laramie, Wyoming. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan had been filed for the flight that originated from Laramie Regional Airport (LAR) approximately 18 minutes prior to the accident. According to the pilot's wife, the pilot left home at 1300 to fly his ultralight airplane. Line personnel at the airport said the pilot arrived at approximately 1330, and seemed to be in good spirits. He departed in his airplane at 1345. They reported that the pilot returned to the airport at approximately 1500, refueled, and departed once more, between 1515 and 1530. At 1548 a police officer, who was patrolling near Snowy Range Road just west of Optimist Park, said he noticed the ultralight moving "very slow at a low altitude." He said the airplane was heading north, and then made a 180-degree turn to the left. The officer stated that once on a southerly heading, the airplane "made a sharp right hand turn and at the same time headed nose first directly into the ground." According to a report from the Laramie Police Department, two witnesses, who were walking near Optimist Park, said the airplane flew toward them at a very low altitude. They stated that the pilot waved to them and appeared to be having a good time. They both noticed the airplane was moving very slow. One of these witnesses turned to walk backwards so she could continue watching the airplane. As she continued to watch, "both wings waved 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 times, and the airplane veered to the right and went straight down." Both witnesses stated that the engine did not quit, and sounded normal until the point of impact. Another witness, with a small child, saw the airplane circle over them as they stood in the slide tower at the park. The witness stated the pilot waved to them, and it appeared to be a "hello" type of wave. She said the airplane then nose-dived directly in front of them. The witness stated she did not notice anything unusual about the sound of the engine. PERSONNEL INFORMATION According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot received his private pilot certificate on February 5, 1993. The pilot was issued a third class medical certificate on February 6, 2002, with the limitation "Must have glasses available for near vision." The pilot reported on his last FAA medical application, dated February 6, 2002, that he had accumulated 241 hours of flight experience with 8 hours during the previous 6 months. According to FAA Form 8710-5, the pilot had completed a Biennial Flight Review on February 27, 1999, in a Cessna 172. The pilot's logbook, recovered from his personal vehicle, showed he had logged 231.2 hours. The last logged flight was conducted in November 2002, for the duration of 1.3 hours, in a Cessna 172. According to the pilot's family, he kept his ultralight experience recorded in a different logbook. This logbook was not located, but the ultralight's engine tachometer read 432 hours at the time of the accident. On May 30, 2001, the pilot was issued a letter of authorization from the Experimental Aircraft Association, authorizing him to operate the two-place ultralight for instructional purposes under FAA Exemption #3784I. This letter of authorization expired on May 31, 2002. An updated letter of authorization was not located. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a single engine, propeller-driven, two seat, experimental, home built airplane, which was manufactured by the pilot and his wife, over a period of 14 months between 1996 and 1998. The ultralight was powered by a Rotax 503, two cylinder, reciprocating engine, which had a maximum takeoff rating of 52 horsepower at sea level. No maintenance records were located to document the types and frequency of maintenance inspections. The pilot had attended classes for performing maintenance on the Rotax 503 engine. The performance statistics on the Rans S-12XL Airaile aircraft states that the clean stall speed is 38 miles per hours (mph) and a normal cruise speed of approximately 65 mph. The manufacturer of the Rans homebuilt kit stated that: "The S-12 Airaile has a very mushy, mellow, undramatic power off stall. The power on stall is even more indefinite. It is highly recommended to take your S-12 Airaile to a safe altitude to explore the stall. Because the stall is so docile you will need to learn the feel of the plane in the stalled mode in order to be proficient in stall recognition. Learn the other signs of a stall such as mushy or limp control feel and high sink rates." METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 1556, the weather conditions at the Laramie Regional Airport (elevation 7,278 feet), 275 degrees 3 nautical miles from the accident site, were as follows: wind 030 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; clear of clouds; temperature 39 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point 25 degrees Fahrenheit; altimeter setting 30.43 inches. The officer that witnessed the accident reported the winds at the accident site as a "slight steady breeze at 3 to 5 knots." WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The ultralight aircraft impacted terrain in Laramie, Wyoming, in Optimist Park (N41 degrees, 18.85 minutes; W105 degrees, 36.23 minutes; elevation 7,142 feet). The aircraft impacted a grassy area, between the sandbox of the playground and a footpath. The ultralight's longitudinal orientation was approximately 260 degrees. The empennage was elevated in the air, at an approximate 60-degree angle from the ground. The fuselage of the aircraft was crushed aft. The main landing gear remained attached, and the nose gear was crushed aft against the belly of the fuselage. The windscreen was crushed and fragmented. All of the airplane's major components were accounted for at the accident site. The left wing was crushed aft and wrinkled; the right wing displayed little deformation. Both wings were crushed and bent at their wing roots. The aft fuselage beam and empennage were undamaged. The engine, mounted aft of the fuselage, was bent upward and had partially penetrated the wings towards the center of the aircraft. The propeller blades were unremarkable. The fuselage of the aircraft contained the placard "Instructional Use Only." The tail boom contained the registration number E 006 JS. No preimpact engine or airframe anomalies, which might have affected the airplane's performance, were identified. MEDICAL & PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION An autopsy was performed on the pilot at McKee Medical Center in Loveland, Colorado on January 8, 2003. The autopsy report noted a toxicology finding in "peripheral blood" of 0.028 g/dL (0.028%) ethanol. The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology tests on a blood specimen (source not further identified) from the pilot. According to CAMI's report (#200300010001), carbon monoxide and cyanide tests were not performed; 96 mg/dL (0.096%) ethanol was detected in the blood; 0.177 ug/ml diphenhydramine was detected in the blood; and phenylpropanolamine and pseudoephedrine (levels not quantified) were detected in the blood. Part 91.17 of the Federal Aviation Regulations states: No person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft, (1) Within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage; (2) While under the influence of alcohol; (3) While using any drug that affects the person's faculties in any way contrary to safety; or (4) While having .04 percent by weight or more alcohol in the blood. The pilot's wife told a Laramie Police Department detective that the pilot had been prescribed to take one-half a pill of Effexor (venlafaxine, a prescription anti-depressant) daily, starting December 11, 2002. None was detected in the blood tested by CAMI. The Laramie Police Department report noted "a glass Montezuma Tequila bottle which was half full" found "underneath a blanket, which was located on the back bench seat of the rear portion of the extended cab" in the pilot's pickup truck. RESEARCH Part 91.119 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (Minimum safe altitudes: General) states: Over congested areas--Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, resulting in an inadvertent stall/mush. Contributing factors include the pilot's use of an over-the-counter antihistamine, and the pilot's inadequate in-flight decision to fly at low altitude.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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