History of Flight
On October 9, 2015, about 2056 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N9312N, experienced a total loss of engine power and departed controlled flight. The airplane collided with trees while on final approach to runway 10 at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV), Savannah, Georgia. The private pilot and passenger were seriously injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight had departed Jacksonville Executive Airport at Craig (CRG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 2001.
Due to their injuries, neither the pilot nor the passenger could recall the events leading up to the accident.
Before the accident flight, the pilot had telephoned the Miami Flight Service Station for a weather briefing at 1607, planning a 3-hour 15-minute flight from Miami Executive Airport (TMB) to SAV with an estimated departure of 1630. The briefing indicated visual flight rules conditions along the route with widely scattered convective activity south of Miami and near Okeechobee, which would not interfere. Visibility was unrestricted, and winds aloft were from the northwest at about 8 knots. The pilot filed an IFR flight plan for 7,000 feet, 125 knots, 5 hours endurance, and 3 hours 15 minutes en route.
The flight departed TMB at approximately 1700. About 2 hours after departure, at 9,000 feet mean sea level, the passenger requested a rest stop. The pilot diverted to CRG, about 125 miles south of SAV, landing at 1930. They remained on the ground for about 30 minutes, and the pilot did not take on additional fuel. A new IFR flight plan was filed from CRG to SAV with an endurance of 3 hours and en route time of 1 hour. Departure from CRG was at 2000. After departure, the airplane turned left, climbed to 6,900 feet, and was tracked by ATC. The entire route covered approximately 465 miles.
About 30 miles south of SAV, the pilot began his descent and was cleared to land on runway 10. The airplane crossed Interstate 95 about 6 miles south-southwest of SAV at 2,200 feet and was vectored for a right base leg. After turning onto final at about 800 feet, an SAV air traffic controller noticed the low altitude and advised the pilot to check his altitude. No response was received. The airplane then departed controlled flight, colliding with trees and impacting the ground 2,800 feet from the approach end of runway 10.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 64, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His last flight review was completed on June 16, 2015. He also held a third-class airman medical certificate issued May 1, 2015. The pilot reported 1,550 hours of total flight time, with 454 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, low-wing, retractable tricycle gear airplane, serial number 28R-35012, was manufactured in 1969. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-CIC 200-hp engine and equipped with a Hartzell HC-C2HK constant speed propeller. The fuel system consisted of two 25-gallon wing tanks (48 gallons usable). The fuel selector valve had left tank, right tank, and off settings. The most recent annual inspection was completed on October 18, 2014, at which time the engine had about 195 hours since major overhaul. The airplane had flown about 90 hours since that inspection.
Meteorological Information
At departure, the route was VFR with widely scattered convective activity and unrestricted visibility. Weather at TMB: calm wind, 10 miles visibility, temperature 27°C, dew point 23°C, altimeter 29.97 inches Hg, winds aloft at 6,000 feet from 310° at 7 knots. At Melbourne (MLB), winds aloft at 6,000 feet were from 340° at 7 knots and at 9,000 feet from 290° at 8 knots. At Jacksonville (CRG): wind from 050° at 3 knots, 10 miles visibility, winds aloft at 6,000 feet light and variable. At SAV: calm wind, 10 miles visibility, broken clouds at 18,000 feet, temperature 22°C, dew point 19°C, altimeter 30.03 inches Hg. Official sunset was at 1859, end of civil twilight at 1924, and moonset at 1718. The moon would have been 10% illuminated if above the horizon.
Wreckage and Impact Information
All major components were accounted for at the scene. The airplane came through the tree canopy in a steep nose-down attitude, breaking limbs before striking the ground and coming to rest on an agricultural feed trough. The tail empennage was twisted and bent approximately 45° left. The right stabilator leading edge had a 16-inch semicircular accordion crush damage.
The right wing separated at the wing root, exhibited spanwise leading edge crushing, and the right fuel tank was compromised. The left wing remained attached, crushed up to the wing spar outboard of the left fuel tank, which was also compromised; the outer 24 inches of wing were sheared off. Both main landing gear were in the down position.
Both propeller blades remained attached, uniformly bent aft about 10°, and one blade was fractured 8 inches from the tip. The fractured blade cut 9 inches through the fiberglass engine cowl. The engine remained partially attached, with many mounts broken or bent. The fuselage and cabin showed low-speed impact damage, but the cockpit area was not compromised. The throttle and propeller were full forward, mixture 75% forward, fuel selector on left tank, and master switch, tail anti-collision lights, and fuel boost pump were on. No fuel odor or staining was found.
Examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction in the airframe, flight controls, or engine. The No. 2 cylinder had 20/60 compression; others were nominal, and the lower compression would not preclude engine operation.
Additional Information
At the time of power loss, the airplane had flown about 3 hours 30 minutes since initial departure from TMB, including two takeoffs and climbs. Performance data indicated fuel consumption of about 10 gallons per hour, not including taxi, takeoff, and climb. Fueling records from October 3, 2015, showed the pilot had purchased 9.5 gallons of fuel at TMB, but no confirmation was available that the airplane was fully fueled before the accident flight.