CEN14FA325

The pilot’s loss of airplane control while performing an aerobatic maneuver, which resulted in an inverted spin and subsequent collision with terrain.

According to an aerobatic judge who was critiquing the flight, the pilot was performing aerobatic maneuvers within the designated aerobatic box for the airport. The pilot had completed the planned maneuvers then asked the judge if he would watch him perform another maneuver—a "shoulder roll." After leveling off about 2,000 feet above ground level, the pilot performed and completed the maneuver; subsequently the airplane entered a knife-edge attitude followed by a clockwise inverted spin. Multiple witnesses observed the airplane in a flat spin and one witness estimated the airplane made 3 to 4 revolutions in the spin before it hit the ground. The airplane came to rest inverted west of the runway. All components were located at the impact site. An examination of the airframe, engine, and related systems revealed no anomalies. The pilot/owner had previously completed various modifications to the airplane; investigators were not able to determine if the changes made to the airplane would have affected the airplane's ability to recover from a spin or inverted spin.

Mid-Way Regional Airport (KJWY) is a public non-towered airport located 5 miles southeast of Midlothian, TX, at a surveyed elevation of 727 feet. The airport had 1 open runway, runway 18/36 (6,500 feet by 100 feet asphalt). The airport had a certificate of waiver for an aerobatic practice area. The aerobatic practice area was defined from the surface up to 3,500 feet agl and within a 1 nautical mile radius of the airport. The practice area started about midfield of runway 18/36 and extended to the north. The autopsy was performed by the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences at Dallas on June 29, 2014, as authorized by the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4, Ellis County, Texas. The autopsy concluded that the cause of death was a result of blunt force injuries and the report listed the specific injuries. The FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological tests on specimens that were collected during the autopsy (CAMI Reference #201400122001). Results were negative for all tests conducted. Testing for cyanide was not performed. The wreckage came to rest inverted to the west of runway 18, at a field elevation of 713.7 feet. The main wreckage included both wings, the engine and propeller assembly, the fuselage, and the empennage. All components were located at the impact site. The fuselage included the forward and aft seats, the instrument panel, and the engine and propeller assembly. The forward seat space was crushed aft, reducing the occupiable space. The aft seat was crush up and aft, and was impact damaged. The instrument panel was impact damaged. Several instruments and switches were damaged or partially separated. The left bi-wing included the upper and lower wings and both ailerons. The lower wing remained attached to the fuselage. The upper wing separated partially from the fuselage due to impact damage. The upper wing exhibited accordion crushing along the leading edge of the wing. The wing was wrinkled from the leading edge, aft to the trailing edge, along the entire span of the wing. The lower left wing was bent and torn along the inboard portion of the wing. The outboard portion of the wing was unremarkable. The strut between the upper and lower wing was impact damaged. The connecting rod between the upper and lower aileron was bent. The upper aileron was unremarkable. The lower aileron was impact damaged on the inboard trailing edge of the wing. The flight control tubes for the ailerons were continuous from the cockpit control stick outboard to the ailerons. Several of the tubes and bellcranks were bent due to impact damage. The right bi-wing included the upper and lower wing and both ailerons. Both wings remained attached to the fuselage. The upper right wing was impact damaged adjacent to the wing strut. The lower right aileron separated partially at the inboard hinge. The upper right aileron was bent and buckled at the inboard hinge. The flight control tubes for the ailerons were continuous from the cockpit control stick outboard to the ailerons. The empennage included the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, elevators, and rudder. The left and right stabilizers were unremarkable. The trim tab on the left elevator assembly separated partially from the elevator. The control tubes for the elevator were continuous but bent in several locations due to impact. The trailing edge of the right elevator was bent. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were buckled aft and bent 90 degrees to the left. The rudder cables were continuous from the rudder forward to the rudder cables in the cabin. The engine remained attached to the fuselage and was impact damaged along with the cowling. The wooden propeller remained attached at the hub and illustrated impact damage. Blade A was partially broken at the blade hub. Blade B was partially broken at the hub and was further separated, partially, into two pieces along the span of the blade. An examination of the airframe and related systems exhibited impact damage and no anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operations. The top and bottom banks of spark plugs were removed. The spark plugs were clean and exhibited signatures consistent with normal to worn out normal when compared to the Champion Spark Plug Chart. The injector nozzle on the number 1 cylinder contained debris and was bent. The remaining three nozzles were clear of debris. Both magnetos exhibited a spark when rotated by hand. Air movement was noted on cylinders 2, 3, and 4 when the engine was rotated by hand at the propeller flange. Valve train continuity was noted through the engine, except for cylinder number one. The pushrods on the number one cylinder were impact damaged and air movement was not observed. Inspection of the engine did not disclose any areas of visual distress on the engine, other than what was attributed to impact damage. Additionally, the examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have prevented the engine from producing power. The closest official weather observation station was KJWY. The elevation of the weather observation station was 727 feet msl. The routine aviation weather report (METAR) for KJWY, issued at 1615, reported wind 170 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky condition scattered clouds at 5,000 feet agl, broken clouds at 5,500 feet agl, temperature 31 degrees Celsius (C), dew point temperature 20 degrees C, altimeter 29.89 inches. Relevant meteorological data calculated the density altitude at 3,058 feet. The pilot, age 48, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single engine land and glider ratings. The certificate contained the limitation "Not valid for carriage of persons for hire in airplanes on cross-country flights of more than 50 nautical miles or at night." He was issued a second class airman medical certificate on June 2, 2014. The certificate contained the limitation "Must wear corrective lenses." At the time of medical certificate application, the pilot reported a total time of 918 hours; 20 hours of which had been logged in the previous 6 months. One logbook was available for review during the course of the investigation. The logbook contained entries between January 4, 1996, and May 28, 2012. A review of the logbook indicated that the pilot had logged no less than 617.2 hours. The pilot received a spin endorsement on July 4, 2012, and successfully completed the requirements of a flight review in May of 2102. A current logbook was not made available for review. The pilot's logbook only reflected 5 hours of logged time in the make and model of the accident airplane. Investigators were told that only the pilot flew the accident airplane and it is estimated he had logged no less than 250 hours of experience in the make and model of the accident airplane. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the 2010 experimental amateur-built airplane, (serial number 001) had been manufactured by the pilot. It was registered with the FAA on a special airworthiness certificate for experimental operations. A Lycoming IO-360-B4A engine rated at 180 horsepower at 2,700 rpm powered the airplane. The engine was equipped with a 2-blade, Performance Propeller. According to a friend, the pilot was attentive to the weight and center of gravity of the airplane. The pilot had changed the propeller and adjusted the center of gravity of the airplane aft a total of 4 inches through a modified engine mount. The friend stated that these changes were made to improve or increase the rate of the roll while the pilot was performing aerobatics. The airplane was maintained under a condition inspection program. A review of the maintenance records indicated that a condition inspection had been completed on January 1, 2014, at an airframe total time of 230.56 hours. The airplane had flown approximately 28 hours between the last inspection and the accide