Murrieta, CA, USA
N109DC
Poulin L/Cullen D Lancair Legacy
The pilot had made multiple touch-and-go landings prior to the accident. Witnesses observed the airplane heading in a southerly direction toward the runway of intended landing before making a hard right turn and subsequently nosing into the ground. One witness said he heard a "loud engine rev" before the engine " died out." A post accident examination of the airplane revealed that the propeller was not under power when it impacted terrain. It was also revealed that the interior of the wings, the wreckage, the vegetation, and the ground did not indicate any signs of a fuel odor or a fuel spill. An examination of the aircraft and engine failed to reveal any preimpact anomalies, which would have precluded normal operation. An FAA inspector reported it appeared that the airplane had run out of fuel and stalled on approach, causing it to enter a spin prior to impacting terrain in a near vertical attitude.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 30, 2008, about 1145 Pacific daylight time, a Poulin L/Cullen D Lancair Legacy amateur-built airplane, N109DC, was destroyed after a loss of control and impact with terrain while maneuvering to land near the French Valley Airport (F70), Murrieta, California. The certificated private pilot and his sole passenger were killed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, which was operated in accordance with 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight was reported to have departed F70 about 0900. It was initially reported that the airplane was observed making multiple touch-and-go landings prior to the accident. Three witnesses reported observing the airplane flying in a southerly direction prior to the accident. The first witness reported that he "...looked up and observed a plane traveling straight in a southeast direction. As the plane was flying [I] observed the plane roll hard to its right and suddenly [it] went straight down". The witness stated he did not observe any fire or smoke coming from the crash site. The second witness stated that he observed a plane flying in a southeast direction suddenly make a hard right, "...causing the left wing to pull straight up." The witness stated that as the airplane was on its side, it suddenly went down. The third witness reported hearing "...a loud engine rev in the air and [it] suddenly died out." The witness stated that as he looked up he observed an airplane flying in a southbound direction rolling to its right, "...and it suddenly went head down." The witness reported that he did not observe any fire or smoke coming from the crash site. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported that the airplane had crashed in an open field about 1 nautical mile from the approach end of Runway 18 at F70. The inspector stated that the wreckage covered an area of about 900 square feet, and that there was no presence of fuel at the accident site. The wreckage was recovered to a local secured storage facility where a detailed examination could be conducted at a later date. PERSONNEL The pilot, age 76, possessed a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land. The pilot held a third-class FAA medical certificate, dated January 24, 2006, with a limitation, "Must wear corrective lenses." On the medical certificate application the pilot reported his total flight time to date was estimated to be 600 hours, with no flight time listed in the previous 6 months. A family member reported that the pilot had been flying for approximately 40 years, was very experienced, and had previously done aerobatic training. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION N109DC was an amateur-built Poulin L/Cullen D Lancair Legacy, serial number L2K 176. The airplane was a two-place, low wing airplane equipped with retractable tricycle landing gear. The accident pilot was the airplane builder. A family member reported that the airplane had about 25 hours of flying time on it since new. The airplane was equipped with a Continental IO-550-N-8 engine rated to 310 horsepower. No airframe or engine logbooks were accounted for during the investigation. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 1153, the Chino (CNO) Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) located at the Chino Airport, which is about 39 nm northwest of the accident site, reported wind from 290 degrees at 7 knots, 10 miles visibility, sky clear, temperature 26 degrees C, dew point 9 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.03 inches of Mercury. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION An FAA inspector, who conducted an onsite examination of the airplane's wreckage stated that the tail section aft of the cockpit/cabin bulkhead was broken off but intact, lying about 15 feet from the main wreckage area. The inspector reported that the airplane had come to rest with the tail section facing east, the wing spar on a northwest-southeast orientation, the main fuselage oriented east to west, and the engine facing south. The inspector reported no signs of rotational bending on any of the 3 propeller blades, and that the airplane's impact signatures were consistent with a nose low, left wing down attitude, impacting terrain in a near vertical orientation. The inspector also reported an examination of the interior of the wings, the vegetation, and the surrounding ground did not indicate any signs of a fuel odor or a fuel spill. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION An autopsy of the pilot was conducted by the Sheriff-Coroner's Office, County of Riverside, Riverside, California on May 31, 2008. The final diagnoses listed the cause of death as "Multiple blunt force injuries." A toxicological analysis was performed on the pilot by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The report indicated the following results: Carbon monoxide: not performed Cyanide: not performed No ethanol detected in muscle No ethanol detected in spleen Atenolol detected in lung Atenolol detected in liver Atenolol detected in muscle Diphenhydramine detected in muscle Diphenhydramine detect in spleen TESTS AND RESEARCH On June 10, 2008 the airplane's engine was examined. The results of the examination revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, and the pilot's failure to maintain flying speed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin and the subsequent collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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