History of Flight
On August 3, 2011, at approximately 1635 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250 Comanche, registration N6297P, collided with the ground while maneuvering near Grove Field Airport (1W1) in Camas, Washington. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight originated from a private airstrip near Pendleton, Oregon, around 1525, under visual meteorological conditions. The pilot's planned destination was 1W1, and no flight plan was filed.
A pilot-rated witness observed the accident airplane join what appeared to be a left downwind for runway 07 at about 2,000 feet above ground level. Shortly after joining the downwind, the airplane banked left and continued in a descending left turn until it impacted up-sloped terrain northeast of the airport. The witness and the accident pilot had flown to the private airstrip earlier that day to repair the airplane and ferry it back to Camas. Repairs included installation of a new propeller and repairs to a landing gear door following a gear-up landing approximately one week prior.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 84, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and sea ratings. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on July 28, 2010, with the limitation that he must wear lenses for distance and near vision. Personal flight records were not recovered; on his last medical application, he reported 4,000 total flight hours.
Aircraft Information
The 1959 Piper PA-24-250 Comanche (serial number 24-1408) was powered by a 250-horsepower Lycoming O-540 engine and equipped with retractable tricycle landing gear. Gross takeoff weight was 2,800 pounds. The airplane had a two-bladed constant-speed propeller. Maintenance logbooks indicated the most recent annual inspection of the airframe was completed on July 30, 2010, at 2,483 hours total time, and the most recent annual inspection of the engine was completed the same date, with 578 hours since overhaul.
Meteorological Information
Weather at Troutdale, Oregon, about 5 miles south of the accident site, at 1653 was: temperature 28°C, dew point 12°C, clear skies, wind variable at 5 knots, and altimeter 29.87 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located in an open field sloping upward from south to north. The debris field extended approximately 230 feet south to north. The first identified point of contact with terrain was a ground scar containing fragments of the left wing red navigation light lens. The main wreckage included the right wing, empennage, main fuselage, cabin, engine, and inboard portion of the left wing. Extensive impact damage and fragmentation were observed throughout. The fuel selector valve was found in the left tank position.
Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on August 5, 2011, listed multiple specific injuries and the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Forensic toxicology found no ethanol; trace amounts of Doxazosin and Warfarin were detected.