History of Flight
On July 30, 2018, about 1044 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-60-602P, Canadian registration C-GRRS, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while attempting to land at Greenville Airport (3B1), Greenville, Maine. The foreign-certificated pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under Canadian Aviation Regulations as a recreational flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at 3B1 at the time, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Pembroke Airport (CYTA), Pembroke, Ontario, Canada, about 0905, and was destined for Charlottetown Airport (CYYG), Prince Edward Island, Canada.
According to the CYTA airport manager, the pilot had been a regular customer at the airport for several years. The pilot flew the accident airplane into CYTA 3 days before the accident and purchased 117 gallons of 100LL fuel. The airport manager, who personally fueled the airplane that day, said that he topped off the wing tanks first, followed by the center tank. He did not fuel the auxiliary tank. The manager said that each of the fuel caps felt tight and he made sure they were properly fitted back onto each tank. The airplane was then placed in a hangar until the morning of the accident.
Air traffic control communications revealed that, after departure, the airplane climbed and leveled off at 23,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The pilot contacted Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center at 1019:39. About 13 minutes later, the pilot told the controller, "...we're losing altitude trying to figure out what's going on." The controller then began to vector the airplane toward 3B1, which was about 17 miles southeast. At 1033, the controller asked the pilot, "...are you producing power right now or have you lost power." The pilot responded, "I think I've lost power..." The controller asked if he could make Greenville Airport, and the pilot responded, "Ah I think so."
The controller continued to vector the pilot to 3B1 and declared an emergency. At 1040:41, the pilot reported that he had the airport in sight and was going to join the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 14. Radar data indicated the airplane was at about 4,600 ft msl at this time. The airplane continued to descend as it turned onto the base and final legs. At 1043:32, the pilot transmitted without a call sign, "I gotta turn around and ahh we're a little high obviously." About this time, the airplane was on short final for runway 14 at about 1,800 ft msl (about 400 ft above ground level). The airplane then entered a left turn to the northwest and was over the airport when radar contact was lost at 1043:48.
A witness on the apron near the terminal building saw the airplane approaching from the south, low, and flying over the center of the airport, making a left downwind entry for runway 21. The witness noted no smoke trailing, landing gear retracted, and both propellers turning but could not judge speed. When the airplane reached the approach end of runway 21, it began a shallow left turn with a high nose attitude and very slow speed. The witness said, "It was like it almost stopped in the air" before the left wing suddenly dropped and the airplane dove toward the ground, disappearing behind an embankment. A second witness, a commercial pilot, saw the airplane approaching from the west, flying over the airport and then parallel to runway 3/21. He stated both propellers were turning and the engines were producing power, but could not estimate engine speed. He said the airplane maintained altitude and was not gliding. When the airplane approached the end of the runway, it began a shallow left turn and was flying "really slow." The bank angle increased until he could see the entire top of the airplane, then it pitched up, momentarily "stopped," before the left wing "stalled" and the nose pitched down. He did not hear any increase in engine noise before impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a Canadian private pilot certificate for single- and multi-engine land airplane and instrument airplane. A review of the pilot's logbook showed that, as of July 27, 2018, he had a total of 590.3 hours of flight experience, with 155.2 hours in multi-engine airplanes. He logged about 136 hours total in the accident airplane, of which about 82.6 hours were as pilot-in-command. In the 90 days before the accident, the pilot logged 29.2 flight hours, with 13.4 hours in the previous 30 days, all in the accident airplane. He held a Transport Canada Category 3 medical certificate issued on September 13, 2017, with no limitations.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1982 and equipped with two Lycoming TIO-540-U2A engines rated at 350 horsepower each. The engines and propellers had been modified with a Machen conversion under supplemental type certificate SA1658NM. The last annual inspection was performed on May 9, 2018, at an airframe total time of 4,856.1 hours. The airplane had accrued 21.1 hours since the annual inspection. The left engine had 196.8 hours total time since overhaul (TTSO), and the right engine had 169 hours TTSO. The left and right propellers each had 92.2 hours TTSO. The last logbook entry was on July 27, 2018.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest in a field about 100 yards from the approach end of runway 21 on a magnetic heading of 220°. All major components were accounted for, and there was no post-impact fire. The nose and forward fuselage were compressed aft; both engines were partially buried; the empennage was compressed and twisted left. Both wings remained attached. Fuel tanks were breached; about 20 gallons of fuel were recovered. Fuel selector handles were impact damaged; their position could not be determined. The Nos. 1 and 4 fuel shutoff valves were open; Nos. 2 and 3 cross-feed valves were closed. Left and right fuel boost pumps were found and tested functional. Flight control continuity was established for elevator and rudder to mid-fuselage. The rudder trim was neutral; elevator trim consistent with one-quarter nose-up. The landing gear selector appeared in the retracted position. The cockpit throttle levers were between mid- and full power, bent left; propeller levels full forward; mixture controls full forward, bent right; flap selector fully extended.
Engine Examination
Both engines were examined. The left engine showed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical failure. The crankshaft rotated freely; compression and valve train continuity were established. The fuel injection system was free of obstruction. The slope controller tested functionally normal but adjusted to a slightly higher power setting. The right engine had extensive impact damage, with the No. 2 cylinder head liberated. The crankshaft rotated freely; compression and valve train continuity were established. The fuel injection system was free of obstruction. The slope controller functioned normally. Each propeller showed damage consistent with rotation at impact. No pre-impact anomalies were identified in either engine.
Meteorological Information
The 1056 weather conditions at 3B1 included wind from 310° at 8 knots variable between 260° and 360°, clear skies, temperature 23°C, dew point 14°C, and altimeter setting of 30.09 inHg.