Hillam Scott L RANS S 10 N3000V

Summary

On 16 February 2014 at about 19:11 local time, a Hillam Scott L RANS S 10 registered N3000V, operated by Goldsmith James I, was involved in an accident near Shepherd, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 February 2014 at 19:11

Classification

Accident

Location

Shepherd, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.4769, -94.9206

Aircraft

Hillam Scott L RANS S 10

Registration

N3000V

Category

Airplane

Year built

2002

Engines

1

Operator

Goldsmith James I

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Shepherd → Shepherd

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14FA140

1 person died.

The noncertificated pilot’s improper decision to attempt aerobatic maneuvers that exceeded the airplane’s design limitations, which resulted in the subsequent in-flight breakup of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of aerobatic flight instruction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A ground witness reported that the pilot made a radio transmission announcing his intention to perform a rolling maneuver. He and another ground witness stated that they then saw the airplane roll through an inverted position and then transition into a steep, high-speed dive. The left wing separated from the fuselage, and the airplane continued in a near-vertical descent until ground impact. Postaccident examination revealed that the left front wing spar had fractured near the left wing root due to overload. No records were found indicating that the noncertificated pilot had received dual flight instruction for aerobatics, and the pilot's friend reported that he did not think that the pilot had ever received any aerobatic flight training. A review of the pilot's journal revealed that he had recently attempted solo aerobatics in the accident airplane, which resulted in high-speed spiral dives at airspeeds higher than the never exceed speed for the airplane. The pilot likely attempted an aerobatic maneuver that exceeded the airplane's design limitations, which resulted in the subsequent in-flight breakup of the airplane. Toxicological reports revealed the presence of amlodipine, a blood pressure medication, in the urine and liver, and autopsy results indicated that the pilot had hypertension; however, it is unlikely that the hypertension or the medication used for its treatment contributed to the accident. Tramadol and its metabolite, which are analgesics, were also present in the urine and liver. Insufficient evidence was available to determine whether the pilot's use of tramadol contributed to his decision to perform aerobatic maneuvers without training or impaired his ability to complete the maneuver successfully.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.