Piper PA-34-200T Destroyed in Water Impact After Missed Approach at Dare County Regional Airport (N6537C)

Accident Overview and Flight History On January 13, 2013, at approximately 1145 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registration N6537C, was destroyed after impacting Croatan Sound. The accident occurred following a missed approach to land at Dare County Regional Airport (MQI) in Manteo, North Carolina. The private pilot was fatally injured, while the passenger sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was registered to and operated by a private individual. The flight departed from Sanford-Lee County Airport (TTA) in Sanford, North Carolina, at an undetermined time, under an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan in instrument meteorological conditions. ## Communications and Approach According to Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) transcripts, the pilot requested an IFR clearance to MQI at 1114. The controller provided a transponder code and the MQI altimeter setting of 30.17 inches of mercury. At 1615, the pilot was placed in radar contact and cleared to MQI to maintain 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl). At 1619, the pilot requested the GPS approach to runway 05. The controller cleared the aircraft direct to the ALGTR intersection. At 1627, the pilot was directed to cross ALGTR at or above 2,000 feet msl and was cleared for the GPS runway 05 approach, with instructions to report inbound from the ROWZO intersection. The pilot acknowledged these instructions and a pilot report of reduced visibility of 2 or 3 miles. At 1633, the pilot reported inbound from ROWZO and stated he would cancel his IFR clearance when able. At 1645, the controller attempted to reach the aircraft, but no distress calls or further transmissions were received. ## Witness and Passenger Accounts A witness, a pilot who landed approximately 15 minutes before the accident aircraft, reported that the automated weather observing system (AWOS) was inaccurate, showing 10 statute miles visibility while actual visibility was 4 statute miles in fog. The witness stated that the accident aircraft descended out of the clouds too far down the runway to safely land. The witness noted that the accident pilot then reported turning for the visual downwind leg, and that fog and lower cloud ceilings were worse in the accident pilot's direction. The witness did not overhear the pilot report a missed approach to ARTCC. The passenger stated that the pilot performed preflight inspections and verified sufficient fuel. During the descent through the clouds on the instrument approach, the aircraft appeared too far down runway 05 to safely land, though the passenger could see intersecting runways 17/35 below. The pilot made a left turn and leveled off on a downwind leg at 410 feet msl, announcing this on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). The aircraft then entered a left turn for the base leg, announced on CTAF, entered the clouds, and the pilot stated “uh oh” before adding power. The aircraft then impacted the water. The passenger reported that the engines were running normally before impact. ## Aircraft and Personnel Information The aircraft was a six-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane manufactured in 1978, powered by a Continental TSIO-360 engine and a Continental LTSIO-360 engine. A standard airworthiness certificate was issued on August 15, 2011. The most recent annual inspection was completed on March 26, 2012, at a tachometer time of 469.3 hours. The pilot, age 49, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and airplane instrument. His third-class medical examination was last updated on February 8, 2011, and he received his instrument rating on August 18, 2011. His logbooks showed 386.6 total flight hours and 17.4 actual instrument hours before the accident. ## Meteorological and Airport Information The MQI 1135 surface weather observation, located about 1 mile northeast of the crash location, reported wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, overcast skies at 200 feet msl, temperature 15 degrees C, dew point 13 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.15 inches of mercury. However, a pilot report for reduced visibility at 2 or 3 miles was received by ARTCC and transmitted to the accident pilot and other aircraft in the area. ## Wreckage and Impact Information The aircraft was recovered from the water about 1,000 yards to the southwest of the approach end of runway 05 at MQI. Postaccident examination by FAA inspectors noted that the fuselage section remained intact with crushing damage to the nose, top, and sides. The empennage section was torn from the fuselage, with the vertical stabilizer intact and still connected to the left horizontal stabilizer, while the right horizontal stabilizer was torn from the empennage. No evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction was found in the recovered airframe and flight control system components. The right and left wings were torn from the airplane, breached, and destroyed. Both wing flaps remained attached to the wings and corresponded to the cockpit selector, which was in the full down position. The left and right engines were recovered and sent to the manufacturer for examination. On March 25 and 26, 2013, the engines were disassembled with oversight from an NTSB investigator, and no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found. Both propellers were not recovered from the water. All three landing gear were destroyed and corresponded with the cockpit selector handle in the down position. Both fuel mixtures were full rich, and both propeller rpm handles were full forward. The right throttle was full forward, and the left throttle was about 1/2 inch from full forward, exhibiting contact from the instrument panel. Flight control continuity was established to all flight controls and surfaces, with flight control cables compromised in numerous locations, exhibiting signatures indicative of overload failure and/or salvage team separation. Examination of the pilot's altimeter revealed that the instrument was found set at 30.00 inches of mercury, 150 feet lower than the reported altimeter setting at the time of the accident. The passenger stated that she remembered the pilot setting the altimeters before takeoff from TTA and that the airplane altimeters were not reset before landing at MQI. ## Additional Information According to FAA Advisory Circular 60-4A, “Pilot's Spatial Disorientation,” surface references and the natural horizon may become obscured, especially in low visibility conditions, over-water flights, or at night. A sloping cloud formation, obscured horizon, or certain geometric patterns of ground lights can provide inaccurate visual information for aligning the aircraft with the actual horizon, potentially leading a disoriented pilot to place the aircraft in a dangerous attitude. ## Medical and Pathological Information An autopsy of the pilot was performed on January 15, 2013, by the Office of Forensic Pathology at the Brody School of Medicine at Eastern Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. The cause of death was reported as asphyxia due to neck injuries and drowning. The FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the pilot. The report stated that the test was negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. Indomethacin of an undetermined amount was detected in the urine, and lorazepam was detected in the blood and urine. Indomethacin is used to treat pain or inflammation, while lorazepam is a prescription benzodiazepine used for anxiety disorders and insomnia.