History of Flight
On June 7, 2019, at approximately 1331 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-46-350P (registration N709CH) was destroyed when it struck terrain near Castalia, North Carolina. The private pilot, a pilot-rated passenger, and two additional passengers sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal trip.
The airplane departed Naples Municipal Airport (APF), Naples, Florida, at 1053 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan to Easton Airport (ESN), Easton, Maryland. After deviating around weather shortly after departure, the flight proceeded without incident until the pilot contacted Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZDC) at 1301 at an altitude of 27,000 ft mean sea level. The controller advised of a revised routing, which the pilot acknowledged. At 1305, the controller broadcast that a Center Weather Advisory was available via the Hazardous Inflight Weather Advisory Service.
At 1317, the pilot reported weather ahead and asked the controller for observations. The controller stated that some aircraft were going around the weather and some through it, and cleared the pilot to deviate right of course. At 1320, the controller allowed deviation left or right. The pilot noted that Richmond VORTAC (RIC) appeared 'dicey' and asked for guidance; the controller indicated she did not know and advised that the following sector could provide routing.
At 1321, the pilot proposed proceeding east toward the coast. The controller offered an alternative routing via Franklin (FKN), Harcum (HCM), TAPPA, and Patuxent (PXT). At 1324, the pilot accepted and was cleared direct FKN, but did not respond. At 1329, the pilot reported entering rain and asked about cloud tops; the controller stated she had no information but approved further right deviations. At 1330, the pilot requested a 30° right deviation, which was approved. No further transmissions were received.
Radar and ADS-B data showed the airplane climbing to 27,300 ft, followed by a rapidly descending right turn. The last return at 1331:03 indicated an altitude of 20,200 ft.
Personnel Information
The pilot in the left seat, also the aircraft owner, held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating but no instrument rating. His most recent flight review was completed on October 3, 2017. He filed the flight plan via ForeFlight Mobile and was listed as pilot-in-command.
The pilot-rated passenger in the right seat held a private pilot certificate with instrument and single-engine land ratings. His last flight review was on April 14, 2017, and he did not meet the recent instrument experience requirements to act as pilot-in-command under 14 CFR 61.57(c).
Aircraft Information
The low-wing, retractable tricycle gear airplane was manufactured in 2007. In 2017, the original reciprocating engine was replaced with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-35 turboprop engine under a supplemental type certificate. The maximum allowable gross takeoff weight was 4,340 lbs. All fuel tanks were filled before departure, leaving a useful load of 128 lbs. The estimated takeoff weight from APF was 5,070 lbs, and the accident weight was about 4,488 lbs. The airplane was equipped with a wing-mounted weather radar pod and could receive XM Satellite Weather, though usage during the flight was not determined.
Meteorological Information
A frontal boundary with a cold front lay over the accident site. The Storm Prediction Center had issued a convective outlook for general thunderstorms. Satellite imagery at 1330 showed extensive cumuliform cloud cover with tops around 38,000 ft. Consolidated Storm Prediction for Aviation data indicated rain showers and thunderstorms with cloud tops at 43,000 ft and VIP levels 3–4 (moderate to heavy). ZDC radar displayed moderate precipitation over the aircraft’s path at 1325, transitioning to heavy precipitation between 1329 and 1331. En Route Automation Modernization playback showed the airplane flying into heavy to extreme precipitation after accepting the final clearance. The controller did not issue weather details or solicit pilot reports regarding the thunderstorms.
Wreckage and Impact
The main wreckage, including the fuselage, inboard wing sections, landing gear, engine, and propeller, impacted wooded terrain about 4 miles northeast of Castalia. The fuselage was inverted and oriented on a 045° magnetic heading. No fire occurred. Impact signatures indicated a near-vertical descent with a level attitude. The fuselage exhibited vertical crushing that reduced cabin volume. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed except for cuts by recovery personnel or overload separations. All landing gear were retracted. The flap actuator was found in the retracted position.
Outboard sections of both wings were found about 1.3 and 1.4 miles north-northeast of the main wreckage. The weather radar pod had separated and was within the wreckage path. Wing fracture surfaces showed overload failure. The engine exhibited impact damage and limited rotational signatures on the power turbine, consistent with windmilling. No preaccident mechanical anomalies were identified.
Approximately nine months after the accident, sections of the elevator and elevator trim tab were found about 2.6 miles north-northeast of the main wreckage. As of the report's release, most of the empennage, including the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and horizontal stabilizer, had not been located.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh, North Carolina, determined that the cause of death for both the pilot and pilot-rated passenger was blunt force injuries due to the crash. Toxicology testing on the pilot detected ethanol in liver tissue (0.020 gm/hg) but not in muscle. For the pilot-rated passenger, ethanol was found in muscle tissue (0.015 gm/hg) but not in liver; Irbesartan (a non-impairing blood pressure medication) and the inactive cannabis metabolite carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol were detected in liver and muscle. No natural disease was identified in either individual.