History of Flight
On January 12, 2008, about 1239 eastern standard time, a Cessna 340, registration N2637Y, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage after impacting terrain during an approach for landing to runway 27 at Carl R Keller Field Airport (PCW), near Port Clinton, Ohio. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot, a pilot-rated passenger in the right seat, and two passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (MFD), near Mansfield, Ohio, and was destined for PCW.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the flight was tracked on Cleveland approach radar through visual flight rules (VFR) flight following from MFD. VFR flight following was canceled near PCW.
An employee at PCW heard the airplane's transmission on the Unicom radio prior to the accident. The employee reported that the aircraft called a 10-mile approach, requested traffic advisories three times, and then announced downwind for runway 27. That was the last transmission heard.
A witness, also a pilot and FAA inspector, observed the accident. He stated that while driving north on Route 2, a twin-engine airplane caught his attention, flying very slow eastbound. The airplane appeared level but slowly descending with landing gear extended. It continued to slow, then stopped flying and stalled. The nose and left wing dropped sharply as the airplane entered a counterclockwise spin, making about 1.5 to 2 turns before disappearing below the tree line. He notified 911 and proceeded to the scene, where he identified N2637Y as a Cessna 340.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single- and multiengine land airplane and instrument ratings and a third-class medical certificate dated August 23, 2006, with a limitation for corrective lenses. His logbook indicated approximately 1,160 total flight hours, 27 hours in the last 90 days, 252 hours in multiengine airplanes, and about 12.6 hours in the accident airplane.
A FAA inspector interviewed the pilot's certified flight instructor (CFI), who stated that the pilot received 12.2 hours of classroom instruction, 7.7 hours of flight training in the accident airplane, and 10.3 hours on a desktop training device. The CFI noted that the pilot had to be reminded not to get slow throughout training but showed some improvement.
According to the airport manager at Port Bucyrus-Crawford County Airport, the pilot landed there for fuel on January 4, 2008, and offered the manager a flight. During that flight, the manager observed the stall warning horn activate and remain steady on approach; the pilot did not take corrective action despite being alerted, and the aircraft landed firmly.
On January 12, 2008, prior to departing for PCW, the pilot landed at MFD. Air traffic control tower employees reported that the airplane landed long on runway 14, near midfield, and stopped at the end of the runway. The pilot asked to exit and push the airplane back because he could not make the turn. After clearance, he restarted the engines and taxied to parking.
Aircraft Information
N2637Y was a 1972-model Cessna 340, serial number 340-0013, a pressurized twin-engine, low-wing, all-metal airplane with retractable tricycle landing gear. It was powered by two 310-horsepower Continental TSIO-520-J reciprocating engines installed under supplemental type certificate (STC) SA1881SW. Each engine drove a McCauley 3-bladed, full-feathering constant-speed propeller. The airplane was equipped with vortex generators under STC SA4934NM, increasing maximum gross weight to 6,290 pounds and decreasing minimum controllable airspeed to 71 knots indicated airspeed.
The last annual inspection was performed on January 5, 2007, with an airframe total time of 6,820.2 hours.
Meteorological Information
At 1215, recorded weather at Metcalf Field Airport, about 35 miles and 290 degrees from the accident site, was: wind variable at 4 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition scattered clouds at 2,400 feet; temperature 2 degrees C; dew point -4 degrees C; altimeter 30.09 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
Carl R Keller Field Airport elevation was 590 feet MSL, located about three miles east of Port Clinton. It was a nontowered airport with two runways: 9/27 (5,004 feet by 75 feet, asphalt) and 18/36 (4,001 feet by 75 feet, asphalt).
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane was found nose-down, impacted into terrain in the backyard of 5150 East Port Clinton Road. The empennage was bent forward onto the fuselage. The emergency exit window separated from the fuselage. The main tanks, left and right auxiliary tanks, and left and right locker tanks were breached. Fuel odor was present. The engines and propellers were impacted into terrain. The nose was crushed rearward to the cabin in an accordion-like fashion; the lower fuselage showed similar crushing aft of the wings. The landing gear were extended. Trim tabs were about neutral.
Flight control cables were traced from the cockpit to control surfaces; all breaks were in overload. Continuity was established. Engine control cables were similarly traced and continuity confirmed. A liquid consistent with avgas was found in both fuel selector valves. Engines were recovered from about three feet below surface. Both propellers showed leading-edge abrasion and rearward bending. Both engines' manifold valves contained avgas-like liquid. Fuel pump drive couplings were intact. Top spark plugs showed no anomalies. Thumb compression and continuity were established for all cylinders. Magnetos produced spark. Exhaust turbine housings had rotational scoring. No pre-impact anomalies were detected.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Lucas County Coroner's Office. The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Accident Report, which was negative for the tests performed.