Amateur-built PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER N709HR accident near Tower City, Pennsylvania

Probable cause

The pilot's incapacitation due to fainting as a result of complications from a previously undiagnosed heart condition.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot was flying his airplane as part of the phase I test period for amateur-built aircraft. Preflight, ground operations, and engine run-up were uneventful. He taxied to the end of the runway for takeoff. He began the takeoff roll, felt the tailwheel rise, and then fainted. He did not recall any subsequent events about the accident. Airport surveillance video showed the airplane pitch up into a steep, nose-high attitude; roll to the left; and then descend toward the ground. The airplane contacted the ground left wing first in a steep, nose-low attitude. Postaccident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation, and the pilot reported that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane before the accident. After the accident, an extensive medical evaluation identified that the pilot had severe aortic regurgitation that required a valve replacement and repair of the aortic root. Although aortic regurgitation does not commonly cause fainting, it can interfere with the forward flow of blood from the heart and increases the risk of an arrhythmia. It is likely that the pilot was incapacitated by complications from his previously undiagnosed heart condition.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA17LA269 for the full record.