History of Flight
On June 20, 2021, at 1440 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-22-135, registration N2618A, was destroyed in an accident near White City, Oregon. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was operated as a personal flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to a friend of the pilot, the pilot departed from Bend, Oregon, around 1415, intending to relocate the airplane to Beagle Sky Ranch Airport (OR96) in White City for its annual inspection. The friend was waiting at OR96 and observed the airplane fly overhead but then fly out of sight. About 30 minutes later, the friend received a call from the pilot, who had landed at another nearby airport (Shady Cove). The friend could hear someone in the background providing directions to OR96. Later, the friend saw the airplane enter the traffic pattern for runway 33 on a left downwind. The pilot initiated a go-around when the airplane was not aligned with the runway. After multiple landing attempts, the airplane was east of the runway maneuvering back toward the airport when it contacted trees. The friend heard the crash but did not witness it. The outside air temperature near the accident airport was about 95°F, with a density altitude over 4,000 ft.
Another witness at Shady Cove Airpark, about 5 nautical miles northeast of the accident site, reported seeing the airplane land. The witness noted that the airplane appeared erratic on downwind, and on base leg the turn was wide, requiring overcorrection to final. The airplane touched down midfield, bounced, and went out of view. The pilot then parked in front of the witness's house and shut down. When the witness spoke to the pilot, he seemed lethargic and confused, asking multiple times if he was at Beagle airport. The pilot was wearing long pants and fuzzy socks, appearing overdressed for the weather. He declined offers of water or assistance and did not exit the airplane.
About 20 minutes later, the pilot took off. The witness noted that the engine sounded normal but seemed to have partial power. The airplane did not appear under control during takeoff.
Another witness located about 5 miles southwest of the accident site reported seeing an older tricycle-gear Piper Tri-Pacer with flaps fully extended in a nose-high attitude, appearing to have trouble gaining altitude and on the verge of a stall.
Pilot Information
The 80-year-old private pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate issued on January 19, 1979. He reported 550 total hours of flight experience, with 12 hours in the preceding six months. His personal logbook, found in the wreckage, sustained thermal damage; the last readable total time was 623.1 hours in 1979, with the date unreadable. His private pilot certificate was issued on September 22, 1974.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the Oregon State Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as blunt and thermal trauma due to an aircraft crash, and the manner as accident. The pilot had severe atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries and aorta, coronary artery stents, evidence of prior myocardial infarction, and evidence of congestive heart failure. His medical history included atrial fibrillation and stage III chronic kidney disease. He had evaluations on June 9 and June 11, 2021, at a local hospital for shortness of breath, epigastric pain, and lower extremity edema, but refused hospital admission both times.
Toxicology testing at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected gabapentin (2991 ng/mL in cardiac blood, 106985 ng/mL in urine), doxylamine (inconclusive in blood, 303 ng/mL in urine), torsemide (detected in blood and urine), carvedilol (inconclusive in blood, detected in urine), and dextromethorphan (detected in urine). Gabapentin is a prescription antiseizure medication. Doxylamine is a sedating antihistamine. Torsemide and carvedilol are prescription medications for heart failure and high blood pressure.
According to the pilot's wife, he had a heart attack five years prior and was taking nitroglycerin. She reported a mild heart attack three weeks before the accident, and stated that her husband was easily confused, irritable, and in poor health.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination of the accident site revealed the first point of impact was the tops of 75-ft-tall trees about 205 ft east of the approach end of runway 33. The airplane continued in an arc-like trajectory across a street, impacted a chimney and trees, and came to rest on its left side against a barbed-wire fence on a magnetic heading of 021°, about 1 mile northeast of the initial impact. A post-crash fire ensued.
Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit through the tee-bar to each wing and the empennage. Engine examination established drivetrain continuity; cylinders were borescoped with no anomalies. Manual rotation of the crankshaft produced thumb compression in all cylinders. The propeller had separated from the crankshaft flange and was partially embedded in the ground about 10 ft from the main wreckage. One blade was bent aft with S-bending and tip separation; the other was bent aft. Propeller blade strikes were identified on several tree limbs.
No evidence of preimpact mechanical anomaly or malfunction was found in the airframe or engine.