History of Flight
On August 31, 2018, about 2145 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA32RT-300T, registration N500MJ, was destroyed in an accident near St Ignace, Michigan. The instrument-rated private pilot was fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The manager of Mackinac County Airport (83D) reported that around 2000, the pilot fueled the airplane and stated his intention to return to Mackinac Island Airport (MCD) to pick up five passengers. At about 2145, the manager observed the airplane taxi to runway 7 and depart; the engine sounded normal during takeoff. Approximately five minutes later, the manager received a call from 911 dispatch and confirmed that an airplane had just departed 83D.
Two witnesses facing a lake bordering the airport reported seeing a low-flying airplane depart, flying about 100 to 200 ft above the water surface. The airplane then banked right and disappeared from sight. About 10 to 15 seconds later, they heard a sound like a crash or explosion into the water. A county deputy sheriff spoke with four other witnesses at a nearby motel who reported similar observations.
No distress radio calls from the pilot were received, and radar data for the flight was unavailable.
Personnel Information
The pilot's flight logbooks were not located.
Meteorological Information
The airport manager reported that the night was very dark with no distinguishable horizon. First responders arriving at the accident site about 15 to 20 minutes after the event also described a very dark night with no visible horizon.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Divers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) located the wreckage in 44 ft of water, approximately 1 mile from the departure end of runway 7. The wreckage was recovered and transported to a secure facility at 83D for examination by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller took place on September 5-6. The airframe sustained severe damage, with deformation consistent with a slightly right-wing-down, nose-low, high-speed impact with water. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to all control surfaces. Propeller blade bending signatures and impact marks on pitch change stops indicated the propeller was rotating at impact. No preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were found in the airframe, engine, or propeller.
During the wreckage examination, MSP technicians swabbed for evidence of bird residue from a potential bird strike; none was found on the interior or exterior.
Additional Information
During the on-scene investigation, large geese were observed nesting adjacent to the departure end of runway 7 and walking around during daylight. The airport manager noted that geese are typically bedded down at night. A search of the area near the departure end of runway 7 revealed no deceased bird remnants.
Passengers from the airplane's earlier flight on the day of the accident were interviewed. They reported no mechanical defects and stated the flight seemed normal.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on behalf of the Mackinac County Medical Examiner's Office listed the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries; no significant natural disease was noted.
Toxicological testing by the Federal Aviation Administration Forensic Sciences Laboratory on the pilot's tissue samples was negative for drugs. Small amounts of ethanol were detected, likely produced postmortem due to the body being submerged in water before recovery 17 days after the accident.