History of Flight
On March 5, 2019, about 2204 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-180 airplane, registration N7369W, sustained substantial damage during an accident near Summersville, Missouri. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, incurred fatal injuries. The flight was conducted as a personal operation under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to the aircraft owner and a family member, the pilot had traveled to Virginia by commercial airline to retrieve the airplane and return it to Missouri. The pilot departed New River Valley Airport (PSK) in Dublin, Virginia, at an unknown time, en route to Downtown Airport (3DW) in Springfield, Missouri. Investigators determined that the pilot landed at London (Corbin) Magee Airport (LOZ) in London, Kentucky, for fuel at approximately 1731 and departed around 1801.
The pilot did not receive air traffic control services and was not required to do so. The airplane transmitted a nondiscreet beacon code of 1200, preventing positive radar identification. However, radar data showed a flight track consistent with the departure from LOZ. The airplane was westbound at 5,000 feet mean sea level. Shortly before the radar data ended, the altitude began to decrease, and the airplane turned north, followed by a 180° course reversal toward the southeast. The radar track terminated at about 2204, approximately 1.8 nautical miles northwest of the accident location. The wreckage was discovered the next morning by a motorist on a nearby road.
Aircraft Information
A placard on the wing near the fuel cap indicated a maximum fuel capacity of 25 gallons. According to the Piper Cherokee PA-28-180 Owner’s Handbook, the engine consumed about 10 gallons per hour at 75% power. Total fuel capacity was 50 gallons (25 gallons per wing, with 1 gallon unusable per side).
A fuel receipt from LOZ showed the pilot purchased 26.98 gallons from a self-service pump. Investigators could not determine whether this amount filled both tanks to capacity.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was located in terrain with deciduous walnut trees and hilly, short-grass ground. The airplane came to rest on a heading of 99° at an elevation of 1,310 feet. The initial impact point was at the top of a 45-foot-tall tree, with broken branches. The main wreckage came to rest about 76 feet east of the initial impact point. Debris, including a section of the right wing, broken branches, and paint chips, was scattered between the initial impact point and a second 45-foot-tall tree, which showed witness marks consistent with impact. Additional debris—branches, plexiglass, paint chips, torn metal, fiberglass, the baggage door, and a fragmented red lens cover—was scattered over 45 feet between the second tree and the main wreckage.
The main wreckage comprised the fuselage, empennage, left wing, and engine with propeller assembly. The right wing came to rest about 14 feet north of the main wreckage. The right wing included the right aileron, flap, fuel tank, and main landing gear; its fuel tank was intact and contained less than one cup of fuel. The left wing remained attached to the fuselage at the wing spar and included the left aileron, flap, fuel tank, and main landing gear; its fuel tank was intact and contained no fuel.
The engine remained attached with intact mounts and bent tubing. The two-blade propeller remained attached at the flange. One blade was extended and exhibited chordwise scratches along its cambered face. The other blade was bent and embedded in the ground, with aft bending, chordwise scratches on the cambered face, and several leading-edge nicks. The engine-driven fuel pump and electrical fuel pump line contained trace fuel; the carburetor held liquid consistent with fuel. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation before the accident.
The emergency locator transmitter was found nonfunctional; investigators could not determine if this was impact-related or preexisting.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by Southwest Missouri Forensics on March 7, 2019, determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries with contributing environmental hypothermia. Toxicological tests by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory were negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. Atorvastatin (for high cholesterol) and cetirizine (a sedating antihistamine) were detected in urine; 48.3 ng/mL cetirizine was found in blood.