Summary
On July 1, 2017, about 1644 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250 airplane, registration N44HJ, was destroyed during an in-flight breakup near Chatsworth, Georgia. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was privately owned and operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from Moton Field Municipal Airport (06A), Tuskegee, Alabama, about 1500, and was destined for McMinn County Airport (MMI), Athens, Tennessee.
History of Flight
According to a family member, the pilot and his family were returning home after a week-long trip. The line service technician at 06A stated that the airplane arrived at the airport about 1000 and the pilot requested fuel. After the airplane was serviced with about 45 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel, the pilot and the passengers boarded the airplane. The pilot then unsuccessfully attempted to start the engines, and after about 5 to 7 minutes, the service technician asked if he needed assistance. The pilot responded, "no we're good…she [the airplane] does this when the engines get too hot." The pilot tried to start the engines a few more times before one of the airport tenants offered the pilot use of a battery charger. The airplane was towed into a hangar and the charger was connected. The pilot and his family decided to get something to eat while they waited for the battery to charge. Upon returning, the pilot was able to start both engines and the flight subsequently departed.
According to air traffic control and radar information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot was not receiving radar services nor was he in communication with air traffic control while en route or at any time during the accident flight. Radar data revealed a target consistent with the accident airplane heading northeast at altitudes between 3,500 and 5,000 ft mean sea level (msl) when it encountered a boundary of advancing thunderstorms from the northwest. As the airplane neared the southern edge of the convective system, it turned east, then back to the north before turning east again, and radar contact was lost.
Witnesses in the area reported that, as the thunderstorm approached, it was not raining but they could hear thunder in the distance. As they continued to watch the thunderstorm, they heard a loud "boom" followed by pieces of the airplane and personal belongings falling out of the clouds. Shortly thereafter, one of the witnesses stated that they watched as the airplane came "tumbling and spinning" out of the sky. They continued to watch the airplane until it was out of view and then called the local authorities.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 55, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land. He held a third-class FAA medical certificate, issued May 26, 2015. At the time of the medical examination, the pilot reported 400 total hours of flight experience and no flight experience within the previous 6 months. The certificate expired for all classes after May 2017. There was no evidence that the pilot had completed the requirements for operation under BasicMed. A review of the pilot's logbook revealed that the last entry was dated May 23, 2017. The total time entered was 362 flight hours. His total actual instrument experience was recorded as 2 hours, and he recorded 51 hours of simulated instrument experience.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1966. It was powered by two Lycoming IO-540-J4A5 engines each rated at 250 horsepower. The engines were each equipped with a Hartzell three-bladed, controllable-pitch propeller. The most recent annual inspection was completed on January 3, 2017, at a tachometer time of 5,446 hours.
Meteorological Information
There was no record of the pilot receiving a preflight weather briefing from an official, access-controlled source. An Area Forecast that included the state of Georgia was issued at 1345 by the Aviation Weather Center (AWC). The portion of the Area Forecast for Georgia forecast for the accident time scattered clouds at 3,500 ft msl, scattered clouds at 5,000 ft msl, isolated rain showers and thunderstorms with moderate rain, possibly severe storms, and cumulonimbus clouds with tops to FL450 (45,000 ft msl). An Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) at Dalton Municipal Airport (DNN), about 7 miles west of the accident site, reported at 1635 wind from 350° at 19 knots gusting to 35 knots, 4 statute miles visibility, heavy rain, thunderstorm between 5 and 10 miles from the airport, scattered clouds at 1,000 ft agl, scattered at 3,000 ft agl, broken ceiling at 3,600 ft agl, temperature 26°C, dew point 22°C, altimeter 30.09 inHg. At 1655, DNN reported wind from 020° at 8 knots gusting to 18 knots, 2 statute miles visibility, heavy rain, thunderstorm between 5 and 10 miles, scattered at 900 ft agl, broken at 1,400 ft agl, overcast at 2,300 ft agl, temperature 20°C, dew point 20°C, altimeter 30.11 inHg. Convective SIGMETs 60E and 61E were issued at 1555, and 54E at 1455, all valid for two hours and applicable to Georgia.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was scattered over a large area of very dense vegetation. The debris path was about 1 mile in length, oriented on a heading about 030° magnetic. The first components located along the debris path were fragments of the fuselage. Additional components included fragments of the right and left wing assemblies. The left engine remained attached to a section of the left wing assembly, and the right engine was separated from the right wing and located at the end of the debris path. The fuselage came to rest near the wings. The fuselage, cockpit, cabin section, empennage, and engines sustained heavy impact damage. Examination of the wings and horizontal stabilizers revealed fractures consistent with overstress. Examination of the airframe and both engines revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Division of Forensics Sciences, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, performed an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was noted as multiple blunt force trauma. Toxicology testing identified 12 mg/dL ethanol in blood, consistent with postmortem production. Amlodipine was detected in the liver; amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker heart medication used to treat hypertension.