What happened
On December 19, 2008, a Piper PA-32R-301T, registration N9299N, crashed while performing a precision approach to runway 23 at Akron-Canton Regional Airport (CAK) in North Canton, Ohio. The flight had departed from College Park Airport (CGS) in Maryland earlier that afternoon.
At approximately 17:51 EST, the pilot contacted the CAK tower and was cleared to land. The controller notified the pilot that the aircraft was to the left of the localizer. Although the pilot stated he was correcting, radar data showed the aircraft continued to fly a course parallel to, but left of, the approach centerline. After being told the aircraft was still well left of the localizer, the pilot requested a 360- $\degree$ turn to reestablish the approach. The controller denied this request and instructed the pilot to climb and maintain 3,000 feet.
During the maneuver, the aircraft entered a continuous left turn with a decreasing radius. The pilot reported heading due north and climbing, but the aircraft's pitch increased above 20 degrees while remaining in a 30-degree left bank, causing airspeed to decrease significantly. At 17:53:50, the pilot declared an emergency, stating, "nine nine November declaring an emergency oh [expletive]." Shortly after, the aircraft entered a spiral-like dive and disappeared from radar. The aircraft impacted the terrain in a nose-down and left-wing-low attitude, followed by a post-crash fire that destroyed the airplane. The pilot was fatally injured, and there were no ground injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found the fuselage, wings, empennage, engine, and propeller at the accident site. The left wing and left horizontal stabilizer sustained greater damage than the right side. The propeller and hub were separated from the crankshaft, with one blade showing S-shaped bending. An examination of the engine and flight control systems revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.
Meteorological analysis confirmed that the area was experiencing instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with a high likelihood of encountering supercooled large droplet (SLD) icing. Other pilots operating in the area around the time of the accident reported rapid ice accumulation, with some reporting up to 1.25 inches of ice on wing surfaces.
An NTSB sound spectrum study of air traffic control audio confirmed normal engine and propeller operation during the final transmissions. Toxicology results from the pilot's blood showed the presence of chlorpheniramine and pseudoephedrine, though investigators could not determine if these substances caused impairment.