Rutan VariEze Down in Columbia CA (O22)

azpilot

azpilot

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azpilot
I have a connection to this pilot through 3 degrees of separation. A family member contacted me about this crash and asked me what could have gone wrong.

The ADSB data (linked below) shows that the pilot took from O22 (2,120' Field Elevation), climbed up to 15,400' GPS altitude, then turned back to the airport. While descending back towards the airport, GPS speed hit a high of 228 mph. Vne in the VariEze is 220 mph.

The pilot then made several passes over the airport, turned out to the North, and made an approach for landing over runway 17. It looks like he was coming in way to fast (~190 mph), circled back to the North to try another approach for runway 17. The speed seems to come more inline with a 'normal-ish' approach, then the ADSB data ends about 1/2 mile to 1 mile north of the airport.

Questions:

1) Did he have O2? Is it common for the VariEze to have supplemental O2? GPS altitudes indicate he was at an altitude that would have required O2.
2) Why was he flying so fast? Did he actually exceed Vne? (gps speed vs wind speed)
3) Was this really the first time this plane and flown in a long period of time? (ADSB for this N number shows only 1 flight, but the plane was built ~30 years ago)
4) Was this the first time he had flown this airplane? (registration shows pending for a new address in AZ)

I am sure all of those questions will be answered over the course of the investigation.

RIP to the pilot who leaves a wife and children behind.

https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/...ash-in-tuolumne-county-near-columbia-airport/

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2022/09/varieze-n10ez-fatal-accident-occurred.html

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N10EZ

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=10EZ

http://roynouguier.free.fr/vezoman.pdf
 
azpilot said:
1) Did he have O2? Is it common for the VariEze to have supplemental O2? GPS altitudes indicate he was at an altitude that would have required O2.
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Very few GA aircraft are equipped with on board O2. Most folks who fly those altitudes carry a bottle and cannula if they aren't scofflaws. I would assume that an O2 bottle, were it on board, would have shown up in the wreckage.

azpilot said:
2) Why was he flying so fast? Did he actually exceed Vne? (gps speed vs wind speed)
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I can't say why he was coming in near Vne. Most aircraft have a bit of a safety buffer and won't come from together just because you exceed Vne a little bit. Don't know about Rutan canards. One thing for certain, you have a. very high landing speed, and nothing but some fiberglass to absorb energy if you crash. Not the safest of combinations.

azpilot said:
3) Was this really the first time this plane and flown in a long period of time? (ADSB for this N number shows only 1 flight, but the plane was built ~30 years ago)
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Probably not. ADSB is a relatively new thing.

azpilot said:
4) Was this the first time he had flown this airplane? (registration shows pending for a new address in AZ)
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Could be. Might be the reason he had trouble squaring away landing speeds. You do come in fast in a canard, no flaps to lower the stall speed. But not 200mph fast. Moreover, any kind of transition training is likely unavailable in a rare experimental like that. There really aren't that many of those things.

azpilot said:
RIP to the pilot who leaves a wife and children behind.
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I am sorry for your and their loss. What we do can be quite dangerous.
 
Appears to be a Cal Fire tanker pilot! RIP
 
azpilot said:
While descending back towards the airport, GPS speed hit a high of 228 mph. Vne in the VariEze is 220 mph.
Click to expand...

You've already noticed that wind (groundspeed vs. airspeed) could be a factor. But also there's TAS vs. IAS. Even with no wind, at high altitudes you can have a groundspeed above Vne without having an indicated airspeed that's near Vne. Vne in a Mooney 252 is 196KIAS but it goes 219 knots (252mph).
 
One of my good friends perished in the first flight of a new-to-him experimental. The lack of transition training can be a real killer.
 
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