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CHI07LA150

2007-05-21 · Marysville, Ohio, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MRT

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an object during a go-around and subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed. An airport sign and an inadvertent stall were factors.

Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On May 21, 2007, about 0836 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Wood Vans RV7A, N7259N, sustained substantial damage on impact with a runway sign and with terrain during a go-around from runway 27 (4,218 feet by 75 feet, asphalt) at the Union County Airport (MRT), near Marysville, Ohio. The personal flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The two occupants onboard the airplane, a commercial pilot and a private pilot, sustained fatal injuries. The flight departed from the James Clements Municipal Airport, near Bay City, Michigan, about 0715. The airport manager, in part, stated: At approximately 8:35 a.m. on Monday, May 21St, 2007 an aircraft (N7259N), an RV7-A of unknown origin, made a radio call stating that it was on a three (3) mile final for Runway 27 at Union County Airport. Shortly thereafter the aircraft was seen flying in line with the runway, but appeared to be high and fast if a landing were to be attempted. At approximately Taxiway E the aircraft was believed to be 10-15 feet off the ground and traveling at a speed which is not believed to be consistent with the landing speeds for that aircraft. Continuing down the runway the aircraft was still approximately five (5) feet above the runway surface at Taxiway C with what appeared to be a similar groundspeed. After the aircraft passed Taxiway C it left my line of sight and I assumed it was going to execute a go-around. When the aircraft passed my position there did not appear to be any mechanical problems with the aircraft and the engine sounded as though it was operating properly. No further radio calls were heard over the Unicom Frequency. A witness, located about one half mile from the impact site, stated that he saw the airplane "spiraling from the sky." The airplane was found impacting terrain in a corn field about a mile southwest of MRT.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

A co-owner of the accident airplane reported that the person in the right seat was the pilot of the flight. That pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings. He applied for and was issued a third-class medical certificate on November 17, 2005. The medical certificate contained a limitation for corrective lenses. He reported 3,000 hours of total flight time on the application for that medical certificate. The co-owner reported that the pilot had a total of 70.7 hours of flight time in the same make and model as the accident airplane. The co-owner reported that the person in the left seat was a passenger on the flight. The passenger held a private pilot certificate that contained a single-engine land airplane rating. He applied for and was issued a third-class medical certificate on February 14, 2007. The pilot rated passenger's medical certificate contained a limitation for corrective lenses. He reported 510 hours of total flight time on the application for that medical application.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

N7259N was an experimental amateur-built Wood Vans RV7A, serial number 70440. The low-wing, tricycle gear airplane was capable of seating two people. The airplane was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 engine with a reported serial number L-1560-51A. According to the co-owner, the last inspection conducted on the airplane was reported as an annual inspection, which was performed on November 19, 2006, and the airplane accumulated a total time of 356 hours at the time of the accident.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 0753, the recorded weather at the Ohio State University Airport, near Columbus, Ohio, was: Wind 060 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition overcast 2,300 feet; temperature 11 degrees C; dew point 7 degrees C; altimeter 30.19 inches of mercury.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspectors examined the wreckage and a runway sign near the departure end of runway 27. The sign exhibited damage consistent with propeller impact. Material consistent with the airplane's wheel fairing was observed near the impacted sign. The airplane exhibited propeller and wheel fairing damage. No pre-impact damage was observed.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on both the pilot and pilot rated passenger by the Union County Coroner's Office. The FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Accident Report. The commercial pilot's report was negative for the tests performed. The pilot rated passenger's report stated: METOPROLOL detected in Blood METOPROLOL present in Urine

ADDITIONAL DATA/INFORMATION

The FAA was a party to the investigation. The aircraft wreckage was released to a representative of the recovery company. The airport manager stated that the pilot made a call stating that he was on a three mile final to runway 27. Shortly thereafter, the airplane was observed flying in line with the runway, but appeared to be high and fast for landing. About taxiway E, the airplane was about 10-15 feet above ground level (agl) and traveling at a speed which the witness did not believe to be consistent landing speeds. The airplane continued down the runway at about five feet agl. The witness reported that after the airplane passed taxiway C, it left his line of sight and he assumed that the airplane executed a go-around. The witness reported that it did not appear to him that there was a mechanical problem. Another witness, located about one half mile from the impact site, stated that he saw the airplane "spiraling from the sky." An inspection of the airport found that a runway sign by the departure end of the runway exhibited damage consistent with propeller impact, and material consistent with the airplane's wheel fairing was observed near the impacted sign. The airplane came to rest nose down about a mile southwest from the departure end of the runway. No pre-impact anomalies were detected. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2007_CHI07LA150.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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