History of Flight
On May 24, 2013, at 1710 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA34-200T, registration N31743, operating as Angel Flight 743, was destroyed during an in-flight breakup near Johnstown, New York. The commercial pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which departed Laurence G. Hanscom Field Airport (BED), Bedford, Massachusetts, and was destined for Griffiss International Airport (RME), Rome, New York. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The purpose was a volunteer medical transport flight to return a patient and spouse from the Boston, Massachusetts, area to their home in New York. The flight departed BED at 1603, and the pilot contacted air traffic control (ATC). Radar contact was established at 1604, and the flight was incrementally cleared to a cruise altitude of 8,000 feet msl.
At 1630, ATC advised the pilot of an area of moderate to occasionally heavy precipitation along the route. The pilot indicated he had the weather upload and was aware. ATC offered deviation, and the pilot acknowledged. About 15 minutes later, the pilot requested and was issued a 20-degree left deviation for precipitation.
At 1643, ATC asked if the pilot could turn back on course. The pilot requested to fly to the Albany VOR, then stated he could resume the planned course. After passing Albany, the pilot was cleared direct to ROOMS intersection. The pilot acknowledged and established a track of about 290 degrees toward the intersection.
At 1703, the pilot was issued a frequency change to Syracuse approach control. The pilot contacted ATC and advised he had current weather at RME. The controller suggested a deviation to avoid light to moderate precipitation, but the pilot elected to stay on course to ROOMS, then turn left to Utica VOR before proceeding to RME.
Around 1708, ATC noted the airplane had begun a right turn north from its track. The pilot responded, "Yeah I turned the wrong way here I'm sorry I thought I loaded the…approach correctly but I didn't it turned me toward the wrong [unintelligible]…." ATC provided a heading of 280 degrees to return on course, which the pilot acknowledged. About this time, the airplane initiated a descending left turn, and radar contact was lost about one minute later.
Radar data showed the airplane established on a track of about 290 degrees toward ROOMS at 8,300 feet. Around 1707, about five miles southeast of ROOMS, the airplane began a gradual right turn north. At 1708, it turned north-northeast for about one minute before beginning a descending left turn. The last three radar targets, between 21:09:01 and 21:09:19, showed altitudes of 8,200, 7,800, and 6,700 feet. The last return placed the airplane about 1,500 feet west of the main wreckage.
A witness near the accident site reported observing the airplane in a steep bank at about 1,000 feet altitude, flying southwest toward Garoga Reservoir. She noted the left wing was missing. As it disappeared behind trees, she heard an explosion and ran to assist.
Another witness, canoeing on the reservoir, heard a "loud whining noise like an engine at full throttle." As the airplane descended and grew closer, he heard a "loud bang" and observed it break apart. He saw an engine falling and impacting land. Bolts and small parts fell around the canoe. The fuselage descended and impacted water, though the impact point was not visible.
A third witness heard the airplane circle from south to east to north to west. Engines sounded as if revving up and down. He then heard an explosion and observed parts falling.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 70, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land and instrument airplane, and a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and sea. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on May 16, 2013. Review of personal flight logs indicated a combined flight review and instrument proficiency check of 1.2 hours in November 2012. In the six months before the accident, the pilot logged about 53 total flight hours, with about 9 hours in actual instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), all within the last 30 days. Total flight time was approximately 1,746 hours, with over 1,000 hours in the accident airplane make and model.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1978 and registered to the pilot in 1998. It was equipped with two Continental TSIO-360 turbocharged reciprocating engines, each producing 200 horsepower. The most recent annual inspection was completed on March 3, 2013, at a total aircraft time of 3,505.4 hours. At the time of the accident, total time was 3,550.6 hours.
Meteorological Information
The 1653 observation at RME, about 40 miles northwest of the accident site, included wind from 330 degrees at 8 knots, 10 statute miles visibility in light rain, broken clouds at 2,300 and 2,800 feet, overcast at 3,700 feet, temperature 7°C, dew point 4°C, altimeter 30.06 inches. At Schenectady County Airport (SCH), 27 miles east-southeast, a 1645 report included wind from 320 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 16 knots, 7 statute miles visibility, overcast at 2,600 feet, temperature 8°C, dew point 7°C, altimeter 29.96 inches. At Albany (ALB), 36 miles east-southeast, the 1651 observation included wind from 310 degrees at 9 knots, 1.5 statute miles visibility, runway 1 visual range 5,000-6,000 feet, rain, mist, overcast at 800 feet.
An upper air sounding from Albany at 2000 indicated the troposphere was stable or conditionally unstable. A temperature inversion was between 5,700 and 7,400 feet. The freezing level was about 4,300 feet, with potential for moderate icing near 10,000 and 14,000 feet. Wind profile showed generally northerly winds from 1,000 to 7,500 feet, 12-24 knots, with potential for significant turbulence near 7,500 feet.
Weather radar imagery from Albany showed light reflectivity over much of the area, with moderate values west and southwest. Imagery identified "big drops" of rain and wet snow/snow pellets west, indicating melting snow. AIRMET advisories issued at 1645 were valid for IMC, mountain obscuration, moderate turbulence below 8,000 feet, and moderate icing between freezing level and 22,000 feet. The Area Forecast for northeastern New York issued at 1331 predicted overcast ceilings 1,000-2,000 feet, cloud tops 18,000 feet, visibility 3-5 miles, light rain, and mist.
No records exist of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing from standard services. A third-party flight planning service showed the pilot filed the flight plan about 1020 the morning of the accident and accessed a weather radar summary map.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The debris field measured about one mile in length, from the southeast side of Garoga Reservoir northward, oriented on a heading of approximately 360 degrees magnetic. Portions of the empennage, left wing sections, and fuselage skin were south of the reservoir. The main wreckage came to rest in the reservoir. The left engine was found on the north side.
The main wreckage included most of the fuselage, right wing, and right engine. The aft fuselage sides and roof, forward roof, and other sections were separated. The left wing was separated into three sections. The vertical stabilizer and rudder separated but remained attached. The horizontal stabilator separated into two sections. All fractures showed overload failure characteristics. Compression damage indicated upward loading on wings, and water impact damage.
Engine spark plugs: right engine wet and corroded, left engine gray with normal wear. Crankshafts rotated, thumb compression obtained on all cylinders, continuity to accessories, and magnetos produced spark. The airplane had deicing boots on the horizontal stabilator but they were placarded inoperative. Wing deicing boots were removed in January 2010. The pitot heat switch was off.
The airplane was equipped with an electronic primary flight display, panel-mounted GPS with NEXRAD weather, and a two-axis autopilot capable of GPS coupling. A Google Nexus tablet was recovered but water-damaged. An engine monitor unit was recovered; data could not be correlated to the accident flight.
Performance Studies
Radar data indicated that during the last minute, the airplane was at 8,300 feet and 130 knots. It descended in a left spiraling turn, losing about 3,700 feet in 36 seconds and accelerating to about 240 knots before breakup. A trajectory model suggested breakup near 4,600 feet msl (3,600 feet agl). The airplane's never exceed speed (Vne) was 195 knots, and design maneuvering speed (Va) was 138 knots at maximum gross weight.
Additional Information
The FAA publication "Medical Facts for Pilots" described vestibular illusions, including the "graveyard spiral," which can occur during prolonged bank turns in low visibility. The "Airplane Flying Handbook" noted that the vestibular sense can cause spatial disorientation when the horizon is obscured.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on May 27, 2013, at Albany Medical Center listed the cause of death as "massive traumatic blunt force injuries." Toxicological testing by the FAA was negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. Losartan, an FAA-accepted high blood pressure medication, was detected in muscle and liver samples. The pilot reported using this medication on his most recent FAA medical certificate application.