History of Flight
On September 9, 2018, at 1037 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 335 (N2707J) was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Lake Worth, Florida. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane had departed Key West International Airport (EYW) about 0936. Data from the on-board engine monitor and primary flight display showed that, when the airplane was about 9 miles southwest of Palm Beach County Airpark (LNA) descending through about 7,000 ft msl at 170 knots, the left engine exhaust gas temperature (EGT) for all cylinders decreased below 300°F, consistent with a total loss of engine power. About 2 minutes later, EGT values increased to between 900°F and 1,100°F for about 2 minutes, then briefly to about 1,350°F before decreasing below 300°F again, consistent with a second total loss of engine power. This second loss occurred while on a left downwind leg abeam the runway 16 threshold at LNA, at about 1,000 ft msl and 110 knots. The right engine EGT remained around 1,300°F until the last 30 seconds, when it increased to about 1,400°F. After the loss of engine power, the airplane maintained heading and altitude for about 20 seconds, then entered a left descending 180° turn with bank angles between 0 and 30°. About 5 seconds before data ended, airspeed decreased to about 73 knots, bank angle increased, and the airplane rolled inverted as pitch increased to 76° nose down. Several witnesses reported that during approach to runway 16 at LNA, the airplane rolled back and forth, became inverted, then descended to the ground in a spiral and spin.
Personnel Information
According to FAA airman records, the pilot did not possess a valid medical or airman certificate. He had previously held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single and multiengine land, but his certificate was revoked in 1997. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued on June 30, 2014, and expired for all classes in June 2016. The pilot had owned the airplane since 2011 and received dual instruction in the accident airplane in 2011 and 2012, including one flight annotated as "emergency procedures engine outs" in June 2011 and another as "engine out procedures" in May 2012. In the 3 years preceding the accident, he logged 8.2 (2016), 6.4 (2017), and 1.8 (2018) hours in the accident airplane. No record of a flight review was found in his most recent logbook, which dated back to January 1997.
Aircraft Information
The total time of the airplane at the time of the accident could not be determined. Other than periodic inspections and oil changes, the most recent maintenance entry in the left engine logbook was recorded on September 3, 2014, noting replacement of cylinders No. 1, 3, and 5. The airplane accrued about 73 hours between this maintenance and the last annual inspection. For the right engine, the most recent maintenance entry (found in the airframe logbook) was performed on June 21, 2018, noting replacement of cylinder No. 3. This entry was made by the accident pilot, who was not a certificated mechanic. The airplane had accrued about 8 hours between this maintenance and the last annual inspection. The airplane was equipped with two main fuel tanks in the wingtips (50 usable gallons each), two auxiliary fuel tanks in the wings (31.5 usable gallons each), and one wing locker tank in the forward portion of the left engine baggage compartment (20 usable gallons). According to the airplane operating manual, main tanks were to be used for takeoff, landing, descent, emergency, and the first 90 minutes of flight; auxiliary tanks during level cruise only. The left wing locker tank did not supply fuel directly; fuel could be transferred to the left main tip tank via an electric transfer pump. Fuel selector valve positions were off, main, auxiliary, and cross-feed. The airplane was serviced with 50 gallons of fuel on September 5 at LNA, with an order to top off the main tanks. It flew from LNA to EYW on September 6 uneventfully (about 62 minutes). On September 9 at EYW, 47 gallons were added with an order to top off the auxiliary tanks. The accident flight was about 65 minutes. Fuel burn calculations estimated total fuel used on the accident flight was about 41 gallons. The minimum control speed (Vmc) per the airplane operating manual was 83 knots, described as "the minimum flight speed at which the airplane is controllable with one engine inoperative and a 5° bank toward the operative engine."
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted trees and terrain in a park about 1 mile north of LNA. Main wreckage came to rest upright on a heading of about 030° magnetic. The airplane was partially consumed by a post-crash fire. The wreckage path was about 40 ft long, also oriented about 030°. The impact area was surrounded by trees; damage to branches was limited to those directly above the main wreckage. Three ground scars consistent with propeller strikes were on an asphalt jogging trail along a heading of 030°, aligned with and about 15 ft behind the right engine. All major components were present. Flight control continuity was established from cockpit to surfaces. The center and forward fuselage, and a large section of the left wing outboard of the left engine, were significantly damaged by postimpact fire. The aft fuselage was partially separated at the aft bulkhead; the empennage was intact with minor damage to the right horizontal stabilizer leading edge. The right wing was buckled downward near the right engine, and the leading edge was consumed by fire outboard of the right engine. Split-type flaps were partially extended. Landing gear actuator was in the extended position. All five fuel caps were intact and secure. The main fuel tanks were separated from the wing with no damage to the attach fitting baffle. Both auxiliary fuel tanks were significantly fire damaged and partially consumed. The left wing locker fuel tank was intact with about 15 gallons of fuel recovered. The left fuel selector valve, thermally damaged but attached to the wing, was confirmed via air test to be in the main tank position. The right fuel selector valve was thermally and mechanically damaged, attached only to the control rod, and appeared to be in the main tank position but could not be confirmed. Both cockpit fuel selector handles were found in the auxiliary tank position; linkages between handles and valves were impact and fire damaged. Both mixture controls were near the cutoff position. The right propeller lever was near low pitch; the left propeller lever near mid-travel. The right throttle near full-forward; the left throttle near mid-travel. All throttle quadrant control levers were folded and bent leftward. The right engine remained attached to the wing, impact and thermally damaged. The propeller remained attached; all three blades were bent and twisted aft with chordwise scratches and leading-edge gouges. The left engine remained attached with cowling intact, impact and thermally damaged. All 6 cylinders produced thumb compression; valve train, camshaft, and crankshaft continuity confirmed. Borescope examination found no anomalies. Oil filter contained no debris. Both magnetos produced spark on all towers. Sparkplugs appeared normal. The engine-driven fuel pump was impact damaged near the bellows; drive coupling intact, pump rotated freely, vanes intact. Fuel metering unit intact with control cable attached; inlet screen unobstructed. Fuel manifold intact with unobstructed screen; manifold cavity contained a small amount of debris attracted to a test magnet; ports unobstructed. The left propeller was separated at the flange; two blades remained attached to the hub, one largely undamaged, the second bent about 8 and 24 inches from root with a slight twist. The third blade separated from the hub, largely undamaged. Examination of the left propeller assembly at the manufacturer's facility with FAA oversight found blades at low pitch stops at impact; no anomalies.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot performed by the Office of the District Medical Examiner, District 15 – State of Florida, listed cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Examination of the heart found calcified yellow plaques and green-brown grumous plaques in the native left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary arteries, with luminal stenosis of greater than 75%, greater than 90%, and approximately 100%, respectively. Toxicology testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified 0.132 (µg/mL) of diphenhydramine in cavity blood. Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine available over-the-counter; the therapeutic range is 0.0250 to 0.1120 ug/mL. It causes sedation and can impair cognitive and psychomotor performance. Diphenhydramine undergoes postmortem distribution and central levels may be three times higher than peripheral levels.