History of Flight
On May 31, 2020, at 1330 central daylight time, a Piper PA28-180, N6461J, was destroyed in an accident near Pineville, Louisiana. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, and one child passenger was seriously injured.
Three witnesses, all flight instructors, reported observing the airplane after takeoff from runway 36 at Pineville Municipal Airport (2L0). One witness stated the airplane seemed to struggle to clear trees at the end of the runway, then made a hard left turn about 400 ft above the ground, to about a heading of 270°, then banked to a heading of 180° with wings vertical in an "apparent stall/spin situation" before descending below the tree line. Another witness reported the airplane "struggling" to climb, then at about 400 ft agl it made a left turn with a 60-75° bank angle, entered a heading of about 270° holding a steep bank, then continued the left bank to an easterly heading and disappeared behind trees. A third witness described the airplane entering an "accelerated stall" at about 200-300 ft agl. No radio or distress calls were heard from the pilot.
The accident site was located in a heavily wooded area about 1.5 miles from the departure end of runway 36. Local authorities rescued the surviving passenger and secured the site. The estimated weight of the airplane at the time of the accident was at or slightly above its maximum gross weight.
Personnel Information
The pilot's estimated total flight time was based on information from his most recent FAA medical examination on January 9, 2020. His logbooks were not available during the investigation.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The fuselage exhibited severe tearing, crumpling, and crushing of the cabin and forward fuselage sections. The instrument panel and firewall were crushed by impact forces. The fuel system showed severe impact damage but no pre-impact anomalies or restrictions. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces. The two-bladed propeller hub was attached to its flange; both blades had scoring on their leading edges, consistent with some rotation at impact. Several small trees showed cuts consistent with propeller blade contact. Postaccident examination of the aircraft and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the pilot was performed by the Louisiana Forensic Center. The cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology tests by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory identified ethanol at 0.037 gm/dl in muscle but absent in brain. N-butanol, another alcohol commonly produced postmortem, was found in muscle. Fluoxetine and its metabolite norfluoxetine were identified in muscle and liver. Trazodone was found in liver, brain, and heart, but muscle was unsuitable for testing. Amphetamine was identified in liver and lung, but brain and muscle tissues were unsuitable for testing. The report noted that ethanol is intoxicating and can impair performance, but may also be produced after death, and that distribution varies between postmortem production and ingestion. Fluoxetine is an antidepressant with possible mild cognitive effects; underlying depression may affect judgment and reaction time. Amphetamine is used for attention deficit issues but does not address impulsivity associated with such disorders.