History of Flight
On October 30, 2009, at 1317 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 310J, registration N308J, operated by a private pilot, impacted a house shortly after takeoff from runway 7 at Gwinnett County Airport-Briscoe Field (LZU), Lawrenceville, Georgia. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 with an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and one occupant of the house were killed; the airplane and house were destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. The flight was destined for Sparta, Tennessee.
Witnesses reported hearing the airplane at low altitude but could not see it initially due to overcast conditions. The engines sounded normal, then went to full power. One witness described the airplane coming out of the sky in a right-wing-low attitude, hitting a tree and then the house, and exploding. Another witness saw the airplane descending out of the overcast, rolling to the right with engines at full power.
The homeowner stated he and his wife were inside when the house was struck. He escaped through the front doors that were blown out but could not re-enter due to fire; a neighbor pulled him away.
According to the FAA LZU air traffic control tower, after takeoff the pilot received heading instructions and was told to contact Atlanta Approach. The pilot acknowledged but never contacted Atlanta Approach. The tower controller cleared the pilot for takeoff at 1307:38 and later instructed a left turn to 360 degrees and contact Atlanta departure. At 1310:02, the controller repeated the instruction; the pilot acknowledged. At 1312:15, the controller again asked the pilot to contact Atlanta departure. The controller then asked three more times if the pilot could hear him, with no response. At 1316:55, the tower was notified by a 911 operator that the airplane had crashed.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 58, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane, issued September 29, 2005. He held a third-class medical certificate issued August 2, 2009, with a restriction requiring corrective lenses. His logbook was not recovered. On his most recent medical application, he reported about 1,200 civilian flight hours.
Aircraft Information
The Cessna 310J was a six-seat, low-wing, retractable gear twin-engine airplane, serial number 310J0142, manufactured in 1965. It was powered by two Continental IO-470, 260-horsepower engines. An annual inspection was performed on March 13, 2009, at a total airframe time of 6327.1 hours.
Meteorological Information
Recorded weather data from LZU at the time: winds from 040 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 1 statute mile in light rain and mist, overcast clouds at 300 feet, temperature 15°C, dew point 15°C, altimeter 30.10 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane struck a tree about 18 feet above the ground, separating the top. It impacted the ground 25 feet from the tree in a 35-degree nose-down attitude, 90-degree right bank, on a 140-degree heading. The airplane then cartwheeled, impacting and penetrating a 4-inch thick concrete driveway with the left wing. It entered the garage, impacted two automobiles, then penetrated a concrete wall into the house and struck one occupant. A fire and explosion ensued, destroying the automobiles, airplane, and house. Impact and fire damage prevented thorough evaluation of the airframe, engines, and propellers.
Debris was cleared and examined. Flight control components showed ductile overload and tension overload signatures. Both engines fragmented; crankshaft and camshaft bearings had no pre-impact defects. Vacuum pumps were damaged; one had fractured vanes. Examination of engines revealed no abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation. Propellers separated; blades showed leading edge damage, curling, bending, and separations consistent with ductile overload.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was performed on the pilot on October 31, 2009. Forensic toxicology detected 23 mg/dL of ethanol in kidney but none in muscle; putrefaction was positive. Testing for carbon monoxide and cyanide was not performed.
Additional Information
FAA Advisory Circular 60-4A discusses spatial disorientation, noting that during low visibility, supporting senses may conflict with visual references, making attitude determination by flight instruments essential.
Probable Cause
The investigation did not determine a probable cause for the accident.