Accident Details
On September 7, 2009, about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-11, registration N4778M, was substantially damaged after colliding with terrain shortly after takeoff from Quincy Municipal Airport in Quincy, Florida. The airplane crashed into a cotton field approximately 500 feet north of the departure end of runway 32. No eyewitnesses to the accident were located. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight, with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The pilot was killed in the accident, and a front-seat passenger sustained serious injuries. The passenger, who held a student pilot certificate, had flown with the pilot several times before.
Events Leading to the Accident
According to the passenger, he performed a preflight inspection that morning. When the pilot arrived, the passenger assisted him into the aft cockpit because the pilot had difficulty walking. During the initial taxi, the engine experienced a "dead cylinder" and was "shaking real bad." The engine was shut down and the airplane was pushed back to the parking area.
Two mechanics, reportedly friends of the pilot, freed a sticking exhaust valve using a rope inserted into the cylinder. After a 20- to 30-minute ground run with no anomalies, the pilot and passenger flew for about 30 minutes without issues. After lunch, they returned to prepare for another flight. Following an uneventful preflight, engine start, and taxi, they took off from runway 32. At about 100 to 150 feet above ground level, the cylinder "went dead again" and the engine began shaking severely. The passenger reported that the pilot "tried to turn the plane around so violently, it instantly stalled out and went into a spin and we went straight in." The passenger believed the pilot was attempting to return to the airport.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The Piper PA-11 was owned and operated by a private individual. A review of maintenance logbooks showed an annual inspection on February 2, 2009, but no entries for engine or airframe maintenance on the day of the accident.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. According to FAA records, his most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on September 4, 2009, three days before the accident. On his medical application, he reported 4,000 hours total flight time, with 15 hours in the previous six months. The application noted a history of medication use (furosemide and spironolactone), cirrhosis since 2003, a history of asthma, and medical disability benefits. His primary care physician's records indicated diagnoses of emphysema and cirrhosis, and that the pilot was in a wheelchair and regularly taking multiple medications, including hydrocodone/acetaminophen, acetaminophen/codeine, alprazolam, furosemide, and spironolactone. The records also noted a history of severe muscle pain and shortness of breath when flying at 5,000–6,000 feet.
Investigation Findings
Post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed the airplane in a steep, nose-low attitude in the cotton field. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to all control surfaces. Approximately two gallons of fuel were observed in each wing tank. The engine was turned by hand and internal continuity was confirmed. The engine was further examined; compression was observed on all four cylinders, and both magnetos produced sparks on all leads. The carburetor had fuel and sediment in the bowl.
The autopsy report listed the cause of death as multiple blunt traumatic injuries. Postmortem toxicology tests, conducted by the FAA Forensic Toxicology Laboratory, were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol, but positive for acetaminophen, codeine, furosemide, hydrocodone, morphine, and several other substances. Some of these drugs may have been administered during emergency treatment.