History of Flight
On August 31, 2011, at about 2240 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, registration N6249C, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain shortly after departing from Provincetown Municipal Airport (PVC), Provincetown, Massachusetts. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured and the passenger was seriously injured. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was presumed destined for Falmouth Airpark (5B6), Falmouth, Massachusetts, and was operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
Several flight crew members of a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter witnessed the accident. They reported hearing a faint radio transmission from an aircraft departing to the west while passing PVC, though they were uncertain of its origin. The crew observed a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) alert and one pilot saw the accident airplane on runway 25. The other pilot visually acquired the airplane as it took off from runway 25, noting its strobe lights were operating. The airplane initiated a left turn before reaching the departure end of the runway. Due to night vision goggles, the pilot could not distinguish its altitude over trees south of the runway. The airplane then disappeared, and smoke and flames were observed on the ground. The helicopter crew contacted local first responders and assisted in locating the accident site and extricating the passenger.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land and did not hold an instrument rating. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on November 22, 2002, at which time he reported 340 total hours of flight experience. No personal flight records or logbooks were found.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1978 and registered to the pilot in 1999. No maintenance logs were located. An invoice from an aircraft maintenance provider in Plymouth, Massachusetts indicated an annual inspection performed on July 21, 2010, at which time the airplane had accumulated 1,630 total hours of operation. Fueling records at 5B6 showed the pilot added 8 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel on August 30, 2011, at 1615.
Meteorological Information
Weather conditions at PVC at 2235 included clear skies, 10 statute miles visibility, calm winds, temperature 16°C, dewpoint 13°C, and altimeter 30.21 inches of mercury. Sunset occurred at 1917, end of civil twilight at 1945, and the moon (waxing crescent, 9% illuminated) had set at 2021.
Airport Information
Provincetown Municipal Airport had a single runway 3,502 feet long by 100 feet wide, oriented 07/25. It was located on the northwestern tip of Cape Cod Peninsula, surrounded by Cape Cod Bay to the south and west. The closest populated landmasses to the south and west were 15–20 nautical miles away.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was about 860 feet southeast of the runway 7 displaced threshold. Freshly broken tree branches at about 25 feet above ground identified the initial impact point. The wreckage path continued on a 190-degree magnetic heading, about 125 feet long, with cut branches displaying 45-degree-angle cuts and black paint transfer. All major airframe portions were accounted for.
The right wing separated from the fuselage at its root about 60 feet from the initial impact point. A concave depression was present on the left wing near the fuel tank, which was about 3/4 full with fuel consistent with 100LL. The rudder and upper vertical stabilizer separated and were found near the right wing; the remainder of the empennage was entangled in a tree about 15 feet forward with significant fire damage. The stabilator trim jack screw extended to roughly neutral trim.
The fuselage came to rest inverted, adjacent to the right wing, oriented along the wreckage path. The cockpit and cabin were destroyed by impact and post-impact fire. Control continuity was traced to all primary surfaces through overload-separated cables. The flap actuator was at 10 degrees. The fuel selector valve was recovered with melted internal components.
The engine showed impact and fire damage. The propeller spinner was missing. Propeller blades were bent aft about halfway, with chord-wise scratching and nicks. One blade had two small gouges on the trailing edge; the other had slight inward curling at the tip. The starter bendix was engaged; the crankshaft rotated freely. Valvetrain and drivetrain continuity was confirmed. Thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders. Spark plugs showed normal wear. The carburetor bowl was empty; floats intact but solder melted. The oil filter element was charred and disintegrated; the oil suction screen was clean. The engine-driven fuel pump and magnetos had extensive fire damage. The vacuum pump rotor and vanes were intact but the plastic drive coupling was melted. The electric fuel boost pump had a disintegrated internal filter.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the pilot listed cause of death as "blunt trauma." Toxicological testing detected ethanol in blood, urine, and vitreous humor. FAA testing found ethanol in urine (81 mg/dl), blood (76 mg/dl), and brain tissue (61 mg/dl). Methanol was detected in brain tissue (5 mg/dl). Ecgonine methyl ester was detected in urine but not blood.
Additional Information
A Garmin GPSMAP 296 portable GPS device was recovered. Data for the accident flight began near the parking ramp at PVC, then taxied to runway 25. About 1.5 minutes after recording began, the track accelerated down the runway. Two points were recorded at a constant GPS altitude accelerating to 55 knots groundspeed over about 900 feet. The next point was at 52 feet GPS altitude and 72 knots groundspeed about 1,600 feet from the start. Subsequent points showed the track deviating south of the runway centerline, with a left turn initiated before the departure end. The final recorded track point was near the departure end at 115 feet GPS altitude and 88 knots groundspeed, about 500 feet south of the runway centerline. The initial impact point was about 550 feet southwest of that point on a magnetic bearing of 220 degrees. Over the final ten seconds, the track turned about 30 degrees left toward the southwest. A course line from the initial position to 5B6 showed the turn directed toward that line. A previous flight from PVC to 5B6 about 27 hours earlier also made a left turn after departure but at a higher altitude and later in the flight.
The source included information on spatial disorientation illusions, including the somatogravic illusion, as described in FAA literature. However, no direct link to the accident was stated.