Accident Summary
On February 26, 2021, about 1811 eastern standard time, a Cessna R182 airplane, N3652C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The flight was a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91, departing Lee Gilmore Memorial Airport (GVL) for Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB). The pilot had requested an IFR clearance and was assigned heading 140° and 3,000 ft msl. After departure, the airplane deviated from assigned heading and subsequently entered multiple rapid descents. Track data showed erratic altitude and ground speed variations before radar contact was lost.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument ratings. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on April 8, 2019. He had approximately 384 total flight hours, including about 44 hours in the accident make and model. He had accrued about 33 hours of actual instrument time and 38 hours of simulated instrument time.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a four-seat, high-wing, metal aircraft with a variable pitch propeller and retractable landing gear. Equipment included a rate-based autopilot, electric turn-and-bank indicator, standby vacuum pump, radar altimeter, horizontal situation indicator (HSI), Garmin GNS 430W, and a 3M WX-10A Stormscope.
Meteorological Information
At the time, a northeast wind and cold air damming east of the Appalachian Mountains, along with a frontal boundary across central Georgia, contributed to low cloud cover. At GVL, visibility was restricted by fog and mist with ceilings at 400 ft agl. The airport weather station reported light rain, though radar imagery did not confirm it. Winds gusted to 18 knots, and low-level wind shear (LLWS) and turbulence were indicated by a sounding. An AIRMET for IFR conditions and LLWS, and a Center Weather Advisory for ceilings below 500 ft and visibility less than 1 mile, were valid for the area. The pilot received weather briefings at 1715 and 1759, which included forecasts and warnings for low ceilings and LLWS. The pilot's primary concern during briefings was the freezing level, which was above 10,000 ft msl.
Wreckage and Impact Examination
The airplane first contacted a 50-ft-tall tree about 0.66 nautical miles southwest of runway 5 at GVL. It continued on a northerly heading, impacting another tree with the left wing and fuselage. The left wing separated; its outboard half remained in the tree while the inboard half fell through a mobile home roof. The cabin, engine, and part of the right wing were found 550 ft from the initial impact. Flight control cables exhibited tension overload signatures. The fuel selector valve was in an intermediate position. The attitude indicator showed rotational scoring, and the radar altimeter indicated 200 ft. The standby vacuum pump switch was off. The throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat controls were fully forward. The propeller and engine examination indicated power at impact. Fuel was present in the carburetor and fuel system.
Additional Information
A friend of the pilot stated that the pilot was proficient with modern avionics like G1000 but not with traditional "six-pack" instruments, and that the pilot planned to upgrade the airplane's avionics. The friend advised flying VFR only until the upgrade. The friend described the pilot as a "magenta line pilot" who regularly used the autopilot. The friend expressed concern about the pilot flying in the weather conditions present at the time and believed the pilot had not taken off in such low visibility alone.
According to the FAA's General Aviation Safety Enhancement Fact Sheet, spatial disorientation can occur when visibility is restricted, leading to sensory conflicts. The sheet describes somatogravic illusions, such as the "Head-Up Illusion," which can occur during takeoff into a dark sky.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the cause of death for the pilot as multiple blunt impact injuries. Toxicology tests were negative for carboxyhemoglobin, alcohol, and other drugs.