History of Flight
On July 20, 2011, at 2157 EDT, a Cessna 182S (N23739) was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain approximately 0.5 mile southwest of Harnett Regional Jetport (HRJ), Erwin, North Carolina. The certificated private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed. The personal flight departed Key Field Airport (MEI), Meridian, Mississippi, at 1621 central daylight time and was operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to FAA and GPS data, the pilot had flown from Erwin to Mississippi on July 19. On the accident day, the pilot contacted flight service at 1531 and received a weather briefing noting thunderstorm activity along the route. The pilot then flew from Philadelphia Municipal Airport to MEI, where he added 35.1 gallons of fuel. The flight departed MEI at 1721 with a transponder code of 5601. ATC offered radar vectors around precipitation, but the pilot did not request them. Contact was lost after 1754, and ATC tracked the flight without further communications. The transponder code changed to 1200 at 2105. The aircraft approached HRJ, performed several turns and descents, and the final radar target at 2157:24 indicated an altitude of 700 feet and a groundspeed of 141 knots. The calculated descent rate between the final two radar returns was 4,800 feet per minute.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 79, held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument ratings. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued June 20, 2011, with a limitation for corrective lenses. A logbook showed 1,973 total flight hours, with 83 hours in the accident airplane between October 2006 and November 2010. In the 12 months preceding the accident, the pilot logged 12 hours, including 0.2 hours at night and 2 hours in simulated instrument conditions. No flights were recorded after November 12, 2010. The most recent flight review endorsement was dated October 18, 2006; no instrument proficiency check endorsement was found.
Aircraft Information
The 1999 Cessna 182S was equipped with Bendix/King avionics, including a KLN-94 GPS, two KX-155A radios, a KAP 140 autopilot, and a KMA 26 audio selector panel. An unrecorded Ryan Traffic and Collision Alert Device 9900B and mounting for a Skyforce Skymap IIIc GPS were also installed. A new propeller was installed on June 10, 2011, at a tachometer time of 814.2 hours; the accident tachometer read 824.3 hours. No records of the most recent annual inspection were located.
The KMA 26 audio selector panel had a microphone selector switch. In the "PA" position, no transmissions could be made via the installed communications transceivers.
Meteorological Information
Weather reported at Simmons Army Airfield (FBG), 18 nm southwest of the accident site, at 2155 included calm winds, 10 statute miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 31°C, dew point 23°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.85 inHg. Composite weather radar showed no precipitation echoes within 20 nm of the accident site. Sunset was at 2027, end of civil twilight at 2056. Moonrise was at 2313. A pilot who landed at HRJ around 2300 reported visual meteorological conditions but hazy conditions. He described the area southwest of runway 05 as a "black hole" due to lack of ground lighting, which could be disorienting at night.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The initial impact point was in a wooded area at 35°22.038'N, 78°44.747'W. The wreckage path was oriented approximately 55 degrees magnetic and extended about 350 feet. The airplane struck numerous trees about 90 feet tall. Fragments of wings, ailerons, and horizontal stabilizers were found along the path. The left wing was suspended in trees 350 feet from the initial impact. The main wreckage, including the fuselage, right wing, engine, and propeller, came to rest in the Cape Fear River about 700 feet past the initial impact. Elevator, rudder, and trim control cables were continuous from cockpit to surfaces. Aileron cables could not be traced due to wing separation. The flap actuator indicated flaps retracted. The elevator trim actuator measured 5 degrees tab trailing edge up (nose down). The altimeter was set to 29.92 inHg. The audio selector panel microphone selector was in the "PA" position. Fuel selector was between "BOTH" and "LEFT". Engine examination revealed no pre-impact anomalies; all cylinders had compression, spark was produced, and the vacuum pumps rotated freely. Propeller blades exhibited slight tip bending and leading edge polishing.
Additional Information
An electronic engine monitoring system showed no abnormal engine operation during the accident flight. An autopsy and toxicological testing were performed; the tests were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs.
The FAA Aeronautical Information Manual describes pilot-controlled lighting at airports without towers. Activation requires keying the microphone on the common frequency. If the aircraft's radio is inoperative or incorrectly configured, such lighting cannot be activated. The accident airplane's audio selector panel was found with the microphone selector in the "PA" position, which would prevent radio transmissions.