History of Flight
On July 16, 2014, at approximately 1745 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301T, registration N297AS, was substantially damaged when it impacted the water near North Captiva Island, Florida. The airplane had departed Page Airport (FMY) in Ft. Myers, Florida, about 1735, with an intended destination of Salty Approach Airport (FL90). Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Numerous witnesses reported that the airplane appeared to be departing from FL90. Some witnesses stated that the airplane "was having a hard time trying to climb" or "that it appeared that the pilot was trying to build up speed to gain elevation" before the left wing made contact with the water. One witness, familiar with the pilot, reported that the pilot had flown in earlier with a load of tile and that the accident flight was the second trip of the day. Another witness reported that the airplane appeared to be "taking off attempting to recover [from] an aborted landing and did not have the airspeed to recover." Several witnesses reported hearing the engine operating at the time of the accident. Some witnesses reported the airplane was about 7 feet above the ground when it passed over the beach.
Pilot Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land with an instrument airplane rating. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on October 22, 2013. The pilot's flight logbook, found in the forward baggage compartment, was water-damaged. The last full page of handwritten entries indicated 2,018.7 total hours of flight experience; the subsequent page had four entries of 0.5 hours each (total 2,020.7 hours) but were undated.
Aircraft Information
FAA records show the airplane received its airworthiness certificate on December 10, 1999, and was registered to Howard Aviation on June 11, 2007, with the pilot listed as president. It was powered by a Lycoming TIO-540-AH1A engine driving a Hartzell HC-I3YR-1RF propeller. Maintenance logbooks indicated an annual inspection completed on January 13, 2014, at a Hobbs meter reading of 1,225 hours, with engine total time in service of 1,225 hours. The Hobbs hour meter at the accident site read 1267.5 hours.
Meteorological Information
The 1745 recorded weather observation at FMY, about 20 miles east of the accident location, included wind from 330 degrees at 19 knots with gusts to 30 knots, visibility 1 3/4 miles with thunderstorms in the vicinity and light rain, scattered clouds at 2,400 feet agl, broken clouds at 3,400 feet agl, overcast at 5,500 feet agl, temperature 26°C, dew point 23°C, and barometric altimeter 29.99 inches of mercury. Remarks included a peak wind at 1741, lightning in all quadrants surrounding the airport, rain beginning at 1745, and a thunderstorm present between 1727 and 1744. No witnesses or first responders reported lightning, rain, or adverse winds in the vicinity of FL90 at the time of the accident.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane was located in 8 to 10 feet of water, about 200 yards west-southwest of the extended centerline of runway "W." The main wreckage rested on its left side on the sea floor. The left wing separated during impact and was originally found at separate coordinates. The engine remained attached. The airplane came to rest on a magnetic heading of approximately 340 degrees. Recovery using three lifting air bags caused additional damage to the right wing from tie straps. The stabilator and left wing could not be located.
Post-recovery examination indicated the airplane impacted the water in a left-wing-low attitude. The nose gear was in the wheel well with the hydraulic extension ram extended and bent aft. The right main landing gear was impact-separated; the hydraulic ram extended 8 inches, correlating to the gear being extended and locked. The flap jackscrew measured 3 exposed threads, corresponding to flaps 40 (fully extended).
Unsecured porcelain tiles and two wooden pallets were found in the cabin, weighing a total of 666 pounds. A placard on the aft wall of the cargo compartment indicated a maximum allowed cargo weight of 609 pounds.
Cockpit Examination
The instrument panel remained attached; the "L Mag" and "R Mag" switches were in the ON position. The turn and bank indicator indicated a left bank. The control T-bar exhibited binding due to slight floor buckling; manipulation allowed cable operation. Control cable continuity was traced to breaks with broomstraw appearances. The fuel selector valve indicated the right fuel tank selected. The throttle, mixture, and propeller levers were full forward; throttle operation was confirmed. The fuel pump and air-conditioner switches were OFF. The landing gear lever was DOWN, and the gear switch was bent right. The flap handle was in the 40-degree (full flap) position.
Engine and Propeller Examination
The engine remained attached to the airframe. The fuel inlet screen was debris-free. Fuel injectors had partial obstructions cleared with low-pressure air. The turbocharger impeller rotated smoothly with minor damage to two blades. Ignition leads were intact; spark plugs appeared normal except bottom plugs were oil-wet. Engine rotation confirmed continuity and compression on all cylinders; magnetos produced no spark when spun with a drill. The propeller exhibited S-bending and tip curling on all blades, bent aft between 17 and 19 inches from the hub. The propeller governor operated normally.
Weight and Balance
According to the Pilot Operating Handbook, the airplane's maximum gross weight was 3,600 pounds, and the CG envelope was between 78 and 95 inches. Using available data (15 gallons of fuel in the right tank, pilot weight from autopsy, cargo distribution, and configuration), the airplane weighed approximately 3,547 pounds assuming the left tank was empty. The CG moment envelope indicated the CG may have been near the aft limit but within the envelope; however, the exact distribution of the tiles could not be determined. If tiles were loaded forward, the CG could be 91.56 inches; if loaded aft, the CG could be 98.93 inches—3.93 inches aft of the approved limit.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on July 19, 2014, listed the cause of death as drowning. Forensic toxicology detected ethanol in the liver (96 mg/dL) and muscle (46 mg/dL), along with N-Propanol in both. Putrefaction was noted as a possible source of ethanol. No drugs were detected.