N5774LAmerican AA-1

On March 11, 2022, about 0230 central standard time, an American AA1, N5774L, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an incident in Bay Minette, Alabama. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to a family member, the pilot purchased the airplane about 6 months before the incident and had not flown it previously. The pilot would often travel from his residence in Mobile, Alabama, to the airport in the early morning hours (0001 to 0300) to start the engine and taxi the airplane around the airport, but not fly the airplane. The family member stated that on occasion he would accompany the pilot.

On the night of the incident, the pilot departed his residence in Mobile, Alabama, about 0030 and traveled to Bay Minette Municipal Airport (1R8), Bay Minette, Alabama, to run the airplane’s engine and taxi around the airport property.

Later that day, about 1256, a US Coast Guard helicopter conducting a training flight approached runway 8 at 1R8 and observed an airplane inverted west of the taxiway leading to runway 8. The flight crew contacted Mobile Approach Control, who then contacted local law enforcement. No emergency locator transmitter signal had been received and no flight plan had been filed by the pilot.

According to FAA records, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on March 24, 2015. He reported on that date that he had accrued about 700 hours of total flight experience.

The incident airplane was a two-seat, single-engine, low-wing, monoplane of all metal bonded construction. It was equipped with an air-cooled, horizontally opposed, 4-cylinder, 140-horsepower, Lycoming O-320-E2A engine driving a 2-bladed metal propeller. The time recorded on the engine’s tachometer was, 3,732.27 hours of operation.

No airplane maintenance records were recovered.

The recorded weather at 1R8, at 0235, included: winds 330 degrees at 3 knots, 1 mile visibility in mist, overcast at 300 feet, temperature 16° C, dew point 16° C, and an altimeter setting of 29.92 inches of mercury.

The incident airplane was a two-seat, single-engine, low-wing, monoplane of all metal bonded construction. It was equipped with an air-cooled, horizontally opposed, 4-cylinder, 140-horsepower, Lycoming O-320-E2A engine driving a 2-bladed metal propeller. The time recorded on the engine’s tachometer was, 3,732.27 hours of operation.

No airplane maintenance records were recovered.

The airplane was found inverted in the grass at the bottom of an embankment, 130 ft from the west end of the taxiway on a magnetic heading of 082°. Tire marks consistent with the left and right main landing gear tires braking were observed on the taxiway for 20 ft leading up to the edge of the taxiway and top of the embankment.

The master switch was on, and the ignition key was positioned to both. The auxiliary fuel pump was in the off position, and the rotating beacon, landing light, nav light and pitot heat were all on. The throttle was pulled out about ¾ (almost at idle) and bent, the mixture was full rich, and the cabin heat was in the open/on position. The fuel primer was in and locked, and the fuel selector was positioned to the right tank. Additionally, the emergency locator transmitter switch which was supposed to be in the ‘ARMED” position for flight was in the “OFF” position, and both left and right seat belts were found in the unlatched position. No shoulder harnesses were installed.

The upper surface of the right wing was separated from the lower surface near the wing tip and the left wing was impact damaged near the wing tip. The pitot tube cover, which was supposed to be removed before flight, was still installed over the pitot tube. The fuselage cabin roof was crushed near the sliding canopy frame and the rudder tip was crushed consistent with impact damage.

The free-castering nosewheel was still attached to the nose fork assembly which had separated from the airplane and was located about 20 ft east between the airplane and taxiway. All structural components, fuselage, and flight control surfaces were accounted for at the incident site. Flight control continuity was confirmed from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit.

The free-castering nosewheel was functional, and both left and right wheel brakes functioned normally when brake pressure was applied at the rudder pedals.

The engine had impact damage and the engine mounts were broken. The engine was removed from the airplane and the propeller was rotated. Compression was observed on all four cylinders, oil was present in the engine, and fuel was observed while disassembling the fuel line from the engine and from near the wing fuel vent.

The pilot’s vehicle was found parked in front of an open hangar where the pilot stored the airplane. The vehicle doors were unlocked, and the keys were in the ignition with the windows rolled halfway down.

The 74-year-old male pilot held a medical certificate that was not valid for any class at the time of the incident. His most recent medical certification examination was in May 2004 when the pilot reported prior treatment for depression. In 2008, the FAA determined the pilot was medically disqualified for an airmen medical certification because of bipolar disorder.

According to the autopsy report, the pilot’s cause of death was traumatic asphyxia, and the manner of death was incident. The medical examiner reported that the pilot had 70- 80% atherosclerosis in his left anterior descending coronary artery and 50-60% atherosclerosis in his right coronary artery.

Toxicology testing detected delta-9-tetrahydocannabinol (THC) in the pilot’s blood at 2.2 ng/mL and in his urine at 1.6 ng/mL, 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC (11-OH-THC) in his blood at 1.1 ng/mL and in his urine at 13.1 ng/mL, and carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) in his blood at 16.4 ng/mL, and in his urine at 178.4 ng/mL.