NTSB: Pilot In Fatal Ted Christopher Plane Crash Had Medical Certification Denied A Decade Earlier

The pilot of the plane that crashed in 2017 taking the life of local short track racing legend Ted Christopher was not certified to fly at the time of the crash because of medical conditions dating back more than a decade.

Pilot Patrick Dundas had his flight certification denied by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2007 according to a report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board. 

Christopher was killed on Sept. 16, 2017 when the single engine 1964 Mooney M20C he was a passenger in crashed in North Branford. Christopher was 59 years old at the time of the crash. 

Christopher was travelling from Robertson Field Airport in Plainville, Connecticut and was destined for Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach, New York. Christopher was scheduled to compete in a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway that evening. 

The NTSB released its Aviation Accident Factual Report publicly on the crash on Tuesday. A further extended conclusive report is expected at a later date. 

The NTSB investigation reports “Loss of engine power” as the defining cause of the crash. 

Dundas, who was 81 years old at the time of the crash, had a history heart issues that first put restrictions on his flying in 2002 and ultimately were the cause for his medical certificate to fly to be declined in 2007 by the FAA. 

According to the NTSB report:

“The pilot had previously reported hypertension and ischemic cardiomyopathy due to severe coronary artery disease that had been treated with three-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting in 2001. He had obtained a special issuance medical certificate beginning in 2002 and had reported using various medications over the years. No other abnormalities were identified on the physical exam and the pilot was initially issued a second-class medical certificate limited by a requirement to wear corrective lenses and specifying, “Limited second class/Full third class privileges; Not valid for carrying passengers or cargo for compensation except if serving as pilot of fully qualified 2-pilot crew; Not valid for any class after 10/31/2007.” The pilot subsequently had an internal defibrillator placed and his medical certificate was denied in December 2007.” 

Mike Christopher Sr. said he doesn’t think his twin brother Ted had any idea that Dundas has his medical certification to fly denied years earlier. Ted Christopher had reportedly flown with Dundas for upwards of 20 years. 

“I had no idea,” Mike Christopher Sr. said Wednesday. “I flew with the guy a year before [the crash]. I always figured Pat was good. I’m sure my brother felt the same way. Maybe he didn’t know that he didn’t have medical clearance? I don’t know. It’s like, he flew with the guy for 20 something years. … I’m sure my brother probably didn’t know anything about that. It all sucks.” 

While the report shows no indication that any sort of medical emergency was cause for the crash, the fact that Dundas was not supposed to be flying ultimately could have proved a factor in the crash. 

Dundas did not file a formal flight plan for the flight, which meant he was essentially taking a low flight plan to avoid flying at a higher altitude under instrument flight rules, in which a flight plan would have to be filed. Had he filed a flight plan it would have been discovered that he was flying without medical certification.

Dundas had his Airline Transport Pilot certificate (ATP rated), which is the highest level of aircraft pilot certificate in the United States 

Barry Burke, an experienced Connecticut pilot and aircraft owner told RaceDayCT Wednesday that higher altitude equals more options during an emergency situation. 

“If he was legal for medical he would have had the option of flying higher, in instrument conditions.” Burke said. “Altitude is options. There’s no saying he would have chosen those options. He was ATP rated with 31,000 hours [of previous flying experience], and it was warm and ice-free, so I don’t see why else he would have avoided clouds.” 

According to the report issues were found with the selector valve that would allow switching between the left and right fuel tanks. A mass of reddish fibers consistent with cotton shop towels was found in the fuel selector valve.

According to the NTSB report: 

“The fuel selector valve was removed from the airframe and air pressure applied to the valve fuel outlet port. Air did not pass through the selector valve when the handle was in the position marked “LEFT.” The handle was moved to the “OFF” position, then back to the “LEFT” position, and it remained blocked. Air did not pass through the valve when the actuator handle was placed in the position marked “OFF” or in the rearward, unmarked position. Air passed freely when the handle was placed in the position marked “RIGHT.” When the handle was returned to the position marked “LEFT,” no air passed through the selector valve. The selector handle moved normally with no unusual resistance between the settings.

“The valve was disassembled and a spongy mass of reddish fibers consistent in appearance with red cotton shop towel fibers were observed in the selector cavity. The rounded mass was about 5/8 inches in length and about 3/8 inches in width. Fibers also covered about 5% of the fuel drain screen.” 

Investigators also found a makeshift tool at the crash scene seemingly fabricated to switch the fuel tank selector knob during flight. 

According to the NTSB report: 

“A section of PVC similar to plumbing or electrical conduit was discovered in the wreckage. It was made up of five individually-threaded, male-to-female connections which, when threaded together, measured about 9 inches long. On the top of the device was a PVC pipe in the shape of a handle. The entire device was in three separate pieces when discovered; the top of the t-handle was broken from the device and the bottom section was unscrewed. On each side of the handle was a label indicating “LEFT” and “RIGHT.” The top of the handle was labeled “FUEL.” On the bottom of the T-handle connection, the vertical pipe appeared to be hand carved/shaved so that it would fit into the top section of the devise There was a 3/4-inch notch cut out on the bottom of the device. When the device was reassembled during the examination, it fit into the airplane fuel selector handle, and appeared to be designed to switch the fuel tanks; however, the reason for its fabrication and use was unknown.” 

Said Burke: “What really grabs me in that report is the shop rag fibers in the fuel selector and the PVC handle. The propeller section of the report pretty clearly demonstrates the engine was not running at time of impact. Running engines bend prop blades into esses, dead engines end up with one or two bent straight back and at least one straight blade. There was 7.5 gallons of fuel in the left tank, which was selected, but apparently blocked with cotton fibers. I wonder if the pilot switched tanks at altitude to the left tank, the engine quit, and the homemade device either broke trying to switch [back] to the right tank or was in an inaccessible location.  I’ve never flown an M20, but apparently the fuel selector is difficult to reach when belted, as there’s a commercial tool available.” 

According to the report the plane’s first point of impact was in 75-foot tall pine trees in a nose-down attitude with a wreckage path 175 feet long. There was an open field about 1,500 feet north of the crash site. The landing gear had been extended at the time of the crash. 

“The fact that the gear was down, the condition of the propeller, the fuel selector blockage, the final heading and extreme nose down crash support trying to glide to an open field without power,” Burke said. “The airplane probably stalled while attempting to stretch the glide.

“All wings stall at a specific angle of attack to the relative wind.  To maintain the same abount of lift, a wing needs to increase the angle of attack as speed decreases.  During a power off glide, the relative wind is approaching from an angle below due to the descent. All airplanes have a power off “best glide speed” which is the speed where maximum lift and lowest drag occur. During an emergency descent, you establish that speed and trade altitude for distance.  Very near the ground, it’s common for accident pilots to raise the nose trying to glide farther, inducing a stall with too much angle of attack, and causing the plane to drop nose first.     According to Mooney M20C docs online, that plane glides best with flaps up, which is where they were found.” 

Christopher was known as one of the leading and most diverse short track drivers in America over two decades. He was also known for a confident bravado like few others in the local short track racing scene. In the ranks of New England Modified racing he was most commonly referred to by two monikers, either simply “TC” or “The King”. He was the 2001 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national short track champion. He also won the 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.

Christopher was the all-time winningest driver at both Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson Speedway. He was also a longtime regular competitor at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.

At Stafford Motor Speedway he competed weekly in the track’s premier division, the SK Modifieds. He had a division leading six victories this year, with his last win coming on Sept. 8. He finished fourth in the SK Modified feature Friday at Stafford.

He had 109 career SK Modified victories at Stafford Speedway and nine championships in the division. Overall he had 131 victories at the track overall since 1986. His next closet competitor on the all-time wins list at the track was Woody Pitkat with 77 victories.

At Thompson Speedway he had won one of two SK Modified features at the track in the last event there on Sept. 10. It was his 99th victory overall at the facility. At the New London-Waterford Speedbowl he had 48 career victories.

He was the third winningest driver of all-time on the Whelen Modified Tour with 42 career victories in 372 starts dating back to the 1987 season.

Christopher long had a reputation for racing anything anytime. From local Midgets divisions, to SuperModifieds, to indoor events in Three-Quarter Midgets to competing twice at the top level of Sports Car racing at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. He had made six career starts in NASCAR’s top-level Monster Energy Cup Series. He had 21 career starts in NASCAR’s second level Xfinity Series. In NASCAR’s regional K&N Pro Series East he had 10 career victories in 92 starts from 1990 to 2008.