Surry, VA, USA
UNREG
Wolfe Titan
The pilot purchased the amateur-built airplane 2 days prior to the accident, and he had not flown it previously. He indicated to the airport manager that he planned to taxi the airplane on the grass runway. The airplane taxied back and forth on the runway several times. At an undetermined time, the airplane became airborne and subsequently impacted trees and terrain about 1/2 mile southwest from the airport. The airplane stuck trees, prior to impacting the ground at an estimated angle of about 70 degrees. Examination of the airplane, which included disassembly of the engine, did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions. The pilot's private pilot certificate was issued in October 1979, and he had not flown regularly in over 20 years. A friend of the pilot reported that he spoke with the pilot on the morning of the accident, and the pilot was "excited" that he purchased the airplane, and was looking forward to receiving flight instruction in it. Toxicological testing conducted on the pilot revealed the presence of Venlafaxine, a prescription antidepressant, also used for anxiety and panic disorders, present in his blood, urine, liver and gastric system. The level of Venlafaxine in the pilot's blood was nearly 10 times higher than expected with regular use of a high typical dose of the medication. The pilot's most recent airman medical certificate was issued about 23 years prior to the accident.
On July 24, 2007, at an unknown time, an unregistered amateur-built Titan airplane, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees in Surry, Virginia. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed on the date of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The airplane was based at the Beaver Dam Airpark (VA33), Surry, Virginia. According to the owner of the airpark, the pilot purchased the airplane on July 22, 2007, and he had not flown it previously. The pilot called him about 1130, on the morning of July 24, 2007. During their conversation, the pilot stated that he planned to come to the airpark to practice taxiing the airplane on the runway. Later that day, the owner of the airpark noticed that he did not see the airplane. He noted fresh tire marks on the grass runway, consistent with an airplane taxiing back and forth several times. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane was located on July 25, 2007, about 1/2 mile southwest from the airpark. The airplane stuck trees, prior to impacting the ground at an estimated angle of about 70 degrees. Examination of the airplane at the accident site did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunctions. One propeller blade was separated approximately 6 inches from the hub, and the two other propeller blades were intact and undamaged. The airplane was equipped with a Rotax 503 series engine. The wreckage was recovered to VA33, where the engine was disassembled under the supervision of the FAA inspector. The engine disassembly did not reveal evidence of any mechanical malfunctions and normal combustion deposits were noted on the pistons and cylinders. According to FAA records, the airplane was certificated in the experimental category in June 1997. The airplane's maintenance records were not located. According to FAA records, the pilot's private pilot certificate was issued in October 1979. The pilot's logbook was not recovered. Both the pilot's son, and a friend of the pilot reported that the pilot had not flown regularly in over 20 years. The pilot's friend stated that the pilot had flown as a passenger in a Piper Cherokee, on two occasions during the past 4 years. He further reported that he spoke with the pilot on the morning of the accident, and the pilot was "excited" that he had purchased the airplane, and was looking forward to receiving flight instruction in it. An autopsy was performed on the pilot, on July 26, 2007, by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Richmond, Virginia. The caused of death was reported as blunt force trauma to the chest and pelvis. Toxicological testing conducted by the FAA Toxicology Accident Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed: "1.692 (ug/ml, ug/g) Venlafaxine detected in Blood. Venlafaxine present in Urine. Venlafaxine detected in Liver. Venlafaxine detected in Gastric." The pilot's most recent FAA third class medical certificate was dated July 23, 1984.
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent experience.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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