NTSB to hold media briefing at 4:00 pm CT today on investigation into Saturday's crash of experimental amateur-built JETEZ in Covington TN. Briefing location: Tipton County Sheriff’s Office, 1801 South College Street, Covington, TN 38019.
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Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a plant crash in northeast Covington Saturday night.
At approximately 5:26 p.m. deputies were dispatched to a area of farmland about 2,000 yards east of the Covington Municipal Airport regarding a plane that had crashed.
Investigators are currently searching the cotton field for wreckage.
The pilot has been identified as Lance Hooley, a JetBlue pilot, who was flying a JetEZ he built with Covington’s Rob Harris. He can be seen flying the jet in a YouTube video.
TCSO, Tipton County Fire Chief Jon Piercey, Covington Fire, Brighton Fire, Charleston VFD, Three Star VFD, MedicOne Covington Police and the Tennessee Highway Patrol responded to the crash.
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Lance Hooley's Jet Eze
It started with a visit with the Rutan guru Robert Harris of what was the EZ Hangar in Covington TN, now EZ Jets. I wanted to build a Long Eze but Robert suggested using current information and technology instead of 1977 when the plans came out. From then on, this airplane was not a Long Eze... it became my design. Originally I wanted an IO-360 in it and progressed this route. Then Robert said "why not make the fuselage bigger for a real sized person?"
The fuselage is 4 inches wider right down the middle, 6 inches longer in the rear seat. The center section spar and wing are from the E Racer, modified of course. Outside it looks the same, but the internal structure is different. Blended winglets structurally integrated with the wing spar. The canard is a GU canard modified for stiffness. The gear is moved aft 1 inch so it will safely sit on all 3 wheels without anyone in it. Oh yea, it stands a foot taller than a Long... noteworthy if you fall out of it like I have... twice. The floor stopped my fall both times.
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Narrative:
The aircraft, a one-off experimental Hooley built Jet Eze, impacted the terrain east of Covington Municipal Airport (M04) in Covington, Tennessee. The airplane was partially consumed by the post-impact fire and the sole pilot/owner/builder received fatal injuries.
Sources:
http://www.covingtonleader.com/news/police_fire/pilot-in-deadly-covington-plane-crash-identified/article_639d92c8-ae47-11e8-bf8a-c7215a62efde.html
https://wreg.com/2018/09/01/sheriff-plane-crashes-at-covington-airpot/
https://www.fox13memphis.com/top-stories/victim-identified-in-plane-crash-near-covington-airport-officials-say/825526012
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=815EY
https://newsline.kitplanes.com/2017/08/09/lance-hooley-jet-eze/
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9C9Onv2diRY
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DC7geFDhmds
Date: 01-SEP-2018
Time: 17:26
Type: Hooley Jet Eze
Owner/operator: Private
Registration: N815EY
C/n / msn: 2009-815EY-1
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: East of Covington Municipal Airport (M04), Covington, TN -
United States of America Phase: Approach
Nature: Unknown
Departure airport: Chicago, IL
Destination airport: Covington Muni (M04)