History of Flight
On October 10, 2013, about 1209 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 340A, registration N4TK, collided with the ground while maneuvering in the vicinity of Hampton Roads Executive Airport (PVG), Norfolk, Virginia. The commercial pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane came to rest in a marsh area and was destroyed by impact forces. The flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, about 0743. Due to a government shutdown, the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration did not examine the wreckage at the scene.
According to air traffic control (ATC) radio communications and radar data provided by the FAA, about 1144 the flight was cleared for the GPS Runway 10 instrument approach at PVG. During the arrival segment, the flight tracked off course by 6 nautical miles, paralleling the final approach course, before correcting and proceeding toward the initial approach fix.
The airplane crossed the final approach fix, PEFOC, at 1,200 feet mean sea level (msl); the published minimum crossing altitude was 1,600 feet msl. The published minimum descent altitude (MDA) for the approach using lateral GPS guidance was 420 feet msl. The pilot flew the approach and descended to approximately the MDA, according to radar data.
The flight reached the missed approach point and, based on weather radar data, began the missed approach, flying southeast into an area showing no precipitation. The published missed approach procedure was a climbing right turn to 2,500 feet while navigating direct to PSALM, located generally southwest of the airport. Radar data showed the flight's altitude varied drastically during the initial part of the missed approach.
At 12:04:59, the flight descended from 1,100 to 700 feet msl, then made an abrupt right turn and began to climb. At 12:05:31, it descended from 1,600 to 1,000 feet and turned about 45 degrees to the left, away from the correct direction. ATC attempted to contact the pilot four times without response. The flight continued on an approximate 155-degree magnetic track and gradually climbed to 2,700 feet msl. At 12:07:13, it began a right turn and descent from 2,700 to 1,600 feet msl, with ground speed increasing from 151 to 214 knots. The flight then abruptly climbed, ground speed decreased from 214 to 140 knots, and it leveled at 2,800 feet msl. Ground speed continued decreasing to 107 knots, and the pilot radioed ATC, requesting an airport with greater than "500 feet visibility."
The controller provided weather for Norfolk International Airport (ORF), 12 nautical miles northeast. During this transmission, the airplane's rate of descent, ground speed, and rate of turn all increased. When ATC asked if the pilot wanted to go to ORF, the pilot responded, "Standby, we're fighting some bad weather, and it's causing us to lose altitude tremendously."
At 12:09:08, the flight maintained a constant rate of turn from a track of about 030 to 231 degrees. Between 12:08:26 and 12:09:08, ground speed increased from 107 to 225 knots. Radar data showed the final descent from 2,800 to 1,200 feet msl, the last radar return.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 61, held a commercial pilot certificate. According to his most recent FAA medical certificate application dated June 3, 2013, he reported 4,256 total flight hours. He was issued a second-class medical certificate with a limitation requiring corrective lenses. A review of partial logbook copies showed 6.4 flight hours as of September 21, 2013; no previous logbooks were recovered, and earlier hours were not carried forward.
On September 13, 2013, the pilot received a "sign off" from a certificated flight instructor in the accident airplane. The instructor stated in a telephone interview that the pilot handled the airplane "well," had previous experience in the make and model, but the flight did not include instrument procedures, and the pilot had no prior experience with the Garmin GTN-750 GPS.
The pilot's instrument currency could not be established due to limited logbook information. In an insurance policy application dated September 11, 2013, the pilot reported 5,541 total hours, 3,076 multi-engine hours, 600 hours in the accident airplane make and model, and 40 hours in the last 90 days.
Aircraft Information
The twin-engine airplane was manufactured in 1979, powered by two Continental TSIO-520 series engines with Hartzell PHC-C3YF-2UF propellers. An annual inspection was completed on April 30, 2013, at an airframe total time of 4,045.20 hours. Altimeters, automatic pressure altitude reporting equipment, ATC transponder, and static pressure system were tested on May 17, 2012, and found compliant. The airplane was equipped with a Garmin GTN-750 navigation system.
Meteorological Information
Recorded weather at Chesapeake Regional Airport (CPK), 4.21 miles from the accident site, at 1155: calm wind, 7 statute miles visibility, light rain, broken ceiling 600 feet agl, overcast 1,100 feet agl, temperature 21°C, dew point 20°C, altimeter 29.88 inHg. At 1235: calm wind, 5 miles visibility, light rain, overcast 600 feet agl, temperature 21°C, dew point 21°C, altimeter 29.87 inHg.
At PVG (6.58 miles from site), at 1135: wind 360° at 8 knots, variable 320-020°, 3 miles visibility, overcast 400 feet agl, temperature 19°C, dew point 18°C, altimeter 29.92 inHg. At 1235: wind 360° at 7 knots gusts 17 knots, variable 330-030°, 9 miles visibility, overcast 500 feet agl, temperature 18°C, dew point 17°C, altimeter 29.91 inHg.
A Meteorological Impact Statement (MIS) issued at 0932 warned of IFR ceilings, visibilities 1-5 miles, rain, and mist for Virginia, and light to moderate turbulence below FL420 with thunderstorms along the Virginia and North Carolina coast.
Airmen's Meteorological Information Tango and Sierra issued at 1045 forecast IMC with ceilings below 1,000 feet, visibilities below 3 miles in precipitation and mist, and moderate turbulence below 8,000 feet.
The terminal area forecast (TAF) for ORF (14 miles northeast) issued at 0735: from 1100, wind 040° at 18 knots gusts 26 knots, 5 miles visibility, light rain and fog, overcast 600 feet agl; from 1400, wind 060° at 14 knots gusts 21 knots, 5 miles visibility, drizzle and fog, overcast 900 feet agl; from 1700, wind 020° at 10 knots gusts 18 knots, 5 miles visibility, drizzle and fog, broken 900 feet agl, overcast 1,500 feet agl.
There was no record of the pilot receiving a preflight weather briefing from Lockheed Martin Flight Service or through Direct User Access Terminal Service.
Wreckage and Impact Information
First responders reported the airplane came to rest on a northeast heading. The debris field was about 150 feet long, ending in an impact crater 8 feet wide, 30 feet long, and about 4 feet deep. All flight controls and cables were impact-damaged.
Airframe examination: all trim settings unreliable due to impact damage. Rudder attached to vertical stabilizer with trim tab attached. Left elevator separated from horizontal stabilizer; right elevator attached with trim tab. Left aileron separated into two sections; right aileron separated into three sections.
Fuel system: one fuel selector valve found loose in wreckage in the "OFF" position; strainer screen free of debris. Fuel caps for wing tip and auxiliary tanks in place and latched; wing locker tank fuel caps not recovered.
Left engine: all cylinders impact-damaged; crankshaft rotated by hand with thumb compression; borescope inspection showed mud impaction and normal operating signatures. Propeller flange sheared from crankshaft; spinner attached with impact damage; three blades locked in hub, two with tip curling, one with minor bending.
Right engine: all cylinders impact-damaged; borescope showed normal signatures; crankcase damage to bottom; crankshaft shifted rearward, unable to rotate. Propeller flange broken from crankshaft; propeller spring and housing separated; all three blades loose in hub, one blade tip broken off with twisting deformation, one bent 90° with tip curling, one with minor bending and tip curling.
Additional Information
The FAA publication Medical Facts for Pilots (AM-400-03/1) describes vestibular illusions including the "graveyard spiral," where a prolonged turn leads to a false sensation of turning in the opposite direction, potentially causing a pilot to re-enter the original turn, losing altitude until impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was performed on the pilot on December 15, 2013, by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Norfolk, Virginia. Forensic toxicology by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected no drugs in the muscle. Ethanol in concentrations of 73 mg/dL, N-Butanol, and N-Propanol were detected in the muscle.