History of Flight
On May 3, 2017, about 2030 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31, Canadian registration C-GQAM, impacted trees and terrain near Colton, New York. The Canadian commercial pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by Strait Air (2000) Ltd. as an air taxi flight under Canadian Aviation Regulation 703. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was operated on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from Quebec/Jean Lesage International Airport (CYQB) at 1916 and was destined for Montreal Saint-Hubert Longueuil Airport (CYHU). According to the operator, the flight's estimated duration was 1 hour, and the airplane departed with 720 pounds (120 gallons) of fuel on board. At 1919, the pilot was cleared to fly direct to CYHU at 2,000 ft msl, acknowledged the clearance, and made no further radio transmissions. The airplane continued flying a straight course at 2,100 ft msl, overflew CYHU, and impacted terrain about 100 miles beyond the destination.
Witnesses reported hearing engine sputtering, popping sounds, and a loud bang before the crash. One witness observed the airplane at an extremely low altitude, heard three pops, then saw it bank left and descend until it disappeared below the horizon.
Personnel Information
According to Transport Canada records, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. He was issued a Category 1 medical certificate on May 17, 2016. The operator reported the pilot had about 5,250 total hours of flight experience and 1,187 hours in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot's family reported he typically flew from Quebec City to Montreal every weekday evening, stayed in Montreal until about 0330, then flew back to Quebec City in the morning, usually taking a nap during the day.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1979 and was equipped with two 310-horsepower Lycoming TIO-540-A2C engines and Hartzell constant-speed propellers. The most recent annual or 100-hour inspection was performed on October 31, 2016. The airplane had four flexible fuel cells (two per wing) with capacities of 40 gallons each outboard and 56 gallons each inboard, totaling 192 gallons (187.3 usable). The pilot operating handbook specified that inboard tanks be used for taxi, takeoff, climb, and descent, while outboard tanks were for level en route flight. The fuel flow warning lights were activated by sensing probes near each inboard fuel tank outlet to warn of impending fuel flow interruption; no audible warning was associated.
According to the operator's flight records, on May 2, 2017, the airplane departed CYQB for CYHU with full fuel tanks (1,123 lbs) and accumulated 0.9 hours. On the morning of May 3, it flew CYHU to CYQB with 1.0 hours. The accident flight accumulated about 1.25 hours. There was no evidence the airplane had been refueled between these flights.
Meteorological Information
The 2053 recorded weather at Massena International Airport (MSS), about 24 nautical miles north of the accident location, included wind from 220° at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 7°C, dew point 1°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site showed damage consistent with a 45° left bank and level pitch attitude at impact. The airplane impacted terrain at about 1,200 ft msl, and a postimpact fire ensued. The debris field was about 240 ft long on a 300° heading. Flight control continuity was confirmed. Both wings were impact-separated and fragmented. All fuel tanks were breached, and the fuel selector valves were found in the outboard tank positions. Examination of both engines revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation before the accident. The left propeller blades exhibited impact damage; the right propeller blades were bent and damaged.
Medical and Pathological Information
The St. Lawrence County Coroner's Office performed an autopsy on the pilot; the cause of death was exsanguination. The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory performed toxicological testing; fluid and tissue specimens tested negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. Testing identified 1.9 ng/ml of THC and 19.6 ng/ml of THC-COOH in cavity blood, with THC and THC-COOH also present in liver and lung.