History of Flight
On April 15, 2018, at 2054 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 525, registration N525P, was destroyed when it struck terrain near Crozet, Virginia. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Richmond Executive–Chesterfield County Airport (FCI) at about 2035, destined for Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD), Weyers Cave, Virginia.
According to a friend, the pilot had "a couple of drinks" while preparing dinner and left home about 1930. Security video at FCI showed the pilot arriving at 2002, walking to the airplane at 2004, performing a walk-around for about 3 minutes, then boarding and initiating engine start at 2017. Taxi began about 2 minutes later, and the airplane took off from runway 33 at 2033. Airport video indicated a tailwind for that runway, and an employee noted the pilot did not communicate on Unicom.
Radar data showed the airplane climb to about 11,500 ft msl at 2040, then descend and level off at 4,300 ft (below the minimum safe altitude of 5,700 ft for SHD) at 2044. The airplane remained at that altitude until 2053, when a descending left turn began. The last two radar returns, 5 seconds apart, indicated a descent rate of about 6,000 ft per minute. Radar contact was lost at 2054. No air traffic control communications occurred.
A witness near the accident site reported hearing "screaming of the engines" and feeling terrain shake upon impact. The witness described low cloud ceiling, moderate winds, and heavy rain.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane, plus a Cessna CE-525S type rating. A third-class medical certificate was issued on November 30, 2016, at which time the pilot reported 1,900 hours total flight time, with 25 hours in the previous 6 months. According to the pilot's logbook, total time was 737.9 hours, with 13.5 hours in the last 30 days, 1.4 hours of instrument time (including 9 approaches) in the previous 90 days, and 165.4 hours in the accident airplane since 2014. Family members reported the pilot flew to Richmond the day before to perform a flight review.
Aircraft Information
The 1996-manufactured Cessna 525 was equipped with two Williams International FJ44-1A engines, each producing 1,900 lbs of thrust. The most recent continuous airworthiness inspection was recorded on March 1, 2017, at 3,311.6 total hours. The airplane featured a multifunction display and a Garmin MX20 with terrain elevation database, weather radar, lightning, traffic awareness, and datalink capabilities.
Meteorological Information
At FCI near departure, conditions were wind 140° at 12 knots, 10 miles visibility, broken ceilings at 3,200 and 4,000 ft agl. At Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO, 13 miles northeast of the accident), 2057 observation included wind 020° at 4 knots, 2.5 miles visibility, rain, mist, broken clouds at 700 ft, overcast at 1,500 ft, temperature/dew point 11°C/11°C, altimeter 29.79 inHg, lightning detected northeast and south. At SHD (15 miles northwest), 2035 observation: wind 350° at 12 knots, 7 miles visibility, moderate rain, scattered 900 ft, broken 4,700 ft, overcast 5,000 ft, temperature/dew point 11°C/11°C, altimeter 29.77 inHg, lightning distant southeast. At Eagles Nest Airport (W13, 12 miles southwest), 2035: wind 040° at 3 knots, 7 miles visibility, scattered 600 ft, broken 1,600 ft, overcast 4,400 ft, temperature/dew point 14°C/14°C, altimeter 29.74 inHg.
The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing. Radar reflectivity showed moderate-to-heavy rain over the accident site at 2053, with the airplane flying through a thunderstorm line between 2042 and 2047. No lightning strikes occurred within 10 miles. Two convective SIGMETs (31E and 36E) warned of severe thunderstorms with cloud tops to FL420/FL410, tornadoes, hail, and wind gusts to 60 knots. AIRMETs Sierra, Tango, and Zulu warned of IFR conditions, mountain obscuration, moderate turbulence, low-level wind shear, and moderate icing. Three urgent pilot reports from CRJ-200 aircraft near CHO reported moderate turbulence and overcast bases at 1,500 ft.
Sunset was at 1951, end of civil twilight at 2018. Moonrise at 0644, new moon at 2157.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane struck three 40-ft trees about 15 ft before impacting terrain at 1,520 ft msl, about 450 ft from the last radar return. The impact crater was 4 ft deep, and Jet A fuel scent was present. The airplane was highly fragmented; all major components were at the site. The debris path emanated from a 120° heading on a 25° incline. Flight control cables and bellcranks remained attached and showed overstress failures. The standby attitude indicator displayed rotational scoring on the gyro housing. Both engines separated; the left engine was in the crater with rotational scoring on compressor turbine blades; the right engine was 60 ft away, partially consumed by fire, with rotational scoring on compressor fan blades and blade bending opposite travel direction.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted by the Commonwealth of Virginia determined the pilot died from multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing identified ethanol (0.080 gm/hg, equivalent to 0.080 gm/dl) in muscle tissue and cetirizine. The source notes that ethanol is an intoxicant that impairs judgment and psychomotor functioning, and federal regulations prohibit acting as a crewmember with 0.040 gm/dl or more ethanol in the blood. Cetirizine is a sedating antihistamine with warnings about drowsiness and alcohol interaction.