History of Flight
On July 8, 2017, at 0942 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181 airplane, registration N793MA, impacted the Muskingum River Fly Ash Reservoir near Waterford, Ohio. The private pilot and the passenger were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed, and the flight was conducted under an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The airplane departed Logansport/Cass County Airport (GGP), Logansport, Indiana, at 0758, en route to Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport (PKB), Parkersburg, West Virginia.
According to air traffic control and radar data, the airplane cruised at about 7,000 ft mean sea level (msl) until beginning its descent toward PKB at 0933. It descended steadily toward the initial approach fix OWAVE for the RNAV (GPS) RWY 21 approach. During the final 2.5 minutes of radar recording, the airplane executed several sharp left and right turns. The last radar return, at 0942, indicated the airplane at 2,950 ft msl (about 2,100 ft above ground level), 0.5 miles northeast of the accident site.
A witness located 0.78 nautical mile southwest of the accident site reported low overcast clouds as the airplane passed overhead. The airplane then exited the clouds in a steep descent with the engine operating at full rpm and full power. It disappeared behind a tree line; the witness heard a thud, and the engine noise ceased. Only a few seconds elapsed between the airplane exiting the clouds and the sound of impact.
Personnel Information
Remnants of a pilot logbook were recovered but were illegible. According to the pilot's most recent medical certificate application (March 28, 2016), his total flight experience was 1,100 hours. His instrument flight experience is unknown. The pilot's flight instructor provided logbook copies indicating 7 flights in the accident airplane from April 2015 to March 2017, totaling 7.95 hours and including 17 instrument approaches (12 ILS, 4 VOR, 1 GPS). The pilot's most recent logged instrument flight occurred on March 11, 2017, during which he completed 2 ILS and 1 VOR approach.
Aircraft Information
The pilot's flight instructor reported flying the airplane on July 26, 2016, from Indianapolis to GGP. He stated that the autopilot functioned in wings-level roll mode but would not hold a heading. The instructor did not indicate whether the autopilot was placarded inoperative or if subsequent maintenance addressed the issue. The aircraft maintenance logbooks contained no entries regarding the autopilot.
Meteorological Information
Weather conditions near the accident site included overcast ceilings between 1,200 and 1,500 ft above ground level (2,000 to 2,300 ft msl). Regional cloud tops were 6,200 to 6,900 ft msl. An area forecast for southwestern Ohio predicted overcast at 2,000 ft msl and 5,000 ft msl with tops to 10,000 ft msl. An AIRMET for IFR conditions was active for the accident location at the time of the accident.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was in the Muskingum River Fly Ash Reservoir, with wreckage submerged in about 5 ft of water. The debris field was oriented west to east, and a fuel sheen was visible on the water. Divers recovered the wreckage and brought it ashore.
Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane separated into three main sections: one containing the engine, fuselage, and empennage; another consisting of most of the right wing; and a third of a small section of the left wing. Several small debris pieces were also recovered from other reservoir areas. No electronic devices were found.
The airspeed indicator showed a distinct needle impact mark near 153 kts indication, just below the redline. The altimeter was set to 29.98 inches of mercury. Other instruments were significantly damaged, making their final positions unreliable.
The vacuum pump remained attached to the engine with no external damage; its internal components (composite drive assembly, carbon rotor, and carbon vanes) were intact. The electric auxiliary vacuum pump was not recovered.
The propeller remained attached to the engine crankshaft flange; the spinner was crushed. One blade was curled aft about 100° with longitudinal twisting; the other was twisted, curled aft about 90°, and fractured about 1 ft from the tip (the separated tip was not found).
Postaccient examination of the engine and airframe revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Montgomery County Coroner's Office completed an autopsy on the pilot, listing multiple blunt force injuries as the cause of death. Significant coronary artery disease was identified: 95% atherosclerotic stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery, and 10% stenosis of the left circumflex and right coronary arteries. No evidence of previous ischemia was noted.
Toxicology testing by the Montgomery County Coroner's Office identified ethanol in the pilot's liver but did not quantify it. Testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory found irbesartan, metoprolol, and pravastatin in muscle and/or liver, none of which are considered impairing. No ethanol was found in liver or brain tissue. Irbesartan, metoprolol, and pravastatin are prescription medications used for hypertension, angina, cholesterol management, and heart failure; they are not impairing.