History of Flight
On August 20, 2021, about 1013 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, registration N8262P, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Wadesboro, North Carolina. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The previous owner sold the airplane to the accident pilot on August 4, 2021. The pilot drove from his home in Florida to Darr Field Airport (NC03), High Point, North Carolina, where the airplane was based. The pilot, who held a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings and an inspection authorization, planned to complete repairs, perform an annual inspection, and fly the airplane to LaBelle Municipal Airport (X14), Florida. Repairs included replacing hoses, rebuilding a jammed fuel selector valve, repairing a corroded fuel line, and removing and checking one magneto.
On the day of the accident, the pilot made an uneventful flight from NC03 to Anson County Airport (AFP), Wadesboro, North Carolina. Before that day, the airplane had not been flown for about 15 years. The pilot purchased 51 gallons of fuel at AFP and departed for X14. Witnesses reported that during startup, the engine sputtered and backfired. Shortly after takeoff, the engine sputtered and backfired again. The airplane turned left and descended nose down into wooded terrain, where a postcrash fire ensued.
Personnel Information
The pilot's logbook was not recovered. On an insurance application for a policy renewal dated September 30, 2020, the pilot reported total flight experience of 800 hours, with 100 hours in the preceding 12 months. The application was for a different make and model than the accident airplane. The pilot's experience in the accident airplane make and model could not be determined.
Aircraft Information
The maintenance logbooks were not recovered during the investigation.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage came to rest inverted, oriented east, with no debris path, about 0.5 miles north-northwest of runway 34's departure end. The cockpit and cabin were partially consumed by fire. The throttle, mixture, and propeller levers were fully forward; both magnetos were selected; and the electric fuel pump switch was on. The fuel selector valve, thermally damaged and separated, was positioned to the left main fuel tank.
Flap actuator jackscrew measurement corresponded to flaps retracted; landing gear actuator cable measurement corresponded to gear retracted. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to the ailerons, rudder, stabilator, and stabilator trim.
The engine came to rest inverted. One propeller blade remained attached; the other had separated and was under the engine. Both blades exhibited tip curling, and the attached blade had leading-edge damage. The engine sustained front impact damage; the crankshaft could be rotated by hand only about 90°. Camshaft and crankshaft continuity were confirmed to the rear accessory section. Holes were drilled into the top crankcase for examination; fire had consumed the oil sump and part of the lower crankcase. Visual and borescope examination of cylinders and crankcase revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
The carburetor had separated due to impact and sustained thermal damage. Disassembly showed two floats present at the bowl bottom; all seals were destroyed. The fuel inlet screen had no debris. The engine-driven fuel pump was destroyed. All fuel and oil hoses were destroyed by fire. Both magnetos exhibited thermal damage; the right magneto produced no spark when rotated by hand; the left could not be rotated. Fire damage precluded testing of the carburetor and magnetos.
Testing of the airport fuel supply revealed no anomalies; no issues were reported with other airplanes using airport fuel that day.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot by the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiners’ Office listed cause of death as blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified ethanol in the pilot's muscle (0.08 gm/hg) and brain (0.029 gm/hg), as well as N-propanol and N-butanol in muscle. Meclizine was found in the pilot's liver; amlodipine was found in liver and muscle tissues.