History of Flight
On October 13, 2021, at 0816 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-260, registration N9126P, was destroyed when it struck trees and terrain near Blairsville, Georgia. The private pilot, who also owned the airplane, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal trip.
The pilot, who held an instrument rating, had filed an IFR flight plan from Blairsville Airport (DZJ) to Sebring Regional Airport (SEF) in Sebring, Florida. At 0806, he contacted air traffic control (ATC) requesting an IFR clearance. A clearance void time of 0820 was issued, with instructions to contact Atlanta Center if not airborne by 0820 and to advise intentions by 0825. The pilot did not report airborne, and a search was initiated. The DZJ airport manager later informed ATC that an airplane had crashed near the airport.
According to automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) data, the pilot took off on runway 8 around 0815 and immediately began a left turn northwest to a heading of about 300°. The airplane then initiated a right turn before the ADS-B data ended. The airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain on a heading of 090°, approximately 1.5 nautical miles north of the departure end of runway 8. The ADS-B data indicated the airplane reached an altitude of about 540 ft above ground before the data ended.
The airport manager reported that the pilot had flown the airplane in the local traffic pattern the day before the accident, which was his normal procedure when preparing for a trip. He purchased about 29 gallons of fuel before the flight. The pilot had planned a departure time of 0600 but delayed due to visible moisture limiting visibility down the runway. The pilot was described as being in “very good spirits” before departure.
A witness outside his residence heard the airplane fly overhead. He recalled dense fog, stating “you could hardly see the trees around you.” The airplane passed very low and close to his house, but he could not see it. The engine was running loudly and continuous, with no missing or sputtering, all the way to impact. He heard two “pops,” which he believed were sounds of the airplane striking trees, followed by a loud noise upon ground impact.
A second witness was working outside when he heard the airplane. He could not see it due to fog. The engine “went off and came back on,” then he heard the crash. He noted the fog was so thick that the lake was barely visible. He then called 911.
Meteorological Information
According to the National Weather Service Surface Analysis Chart, a warm front extended from Kansas eastward through Tennessee and Kentucky, while a high-pressure system was located just south of the accident site in northwestern Georgia. The accident site was south of the warm front, in an area of light and variable surface winds.
Station models near the accident site showed temperature-dew point spreads of 2°F or less, mostly cloudy skies, mist, and obscured sky at several stations. The Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) had issued Center Weather Advisory (CWA) 102 at 0727, valid through the accident time, warning of patchy low IFR (LIFR) ceilings and visibilities in fog and mist, with conditions expected to improve by 1000.
AIRMET advisory Sierra was valid at the accident time, forecasting IFR conditions through 1100. Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA) products issued before the flight indicated LIFR surface visibilities in fog and calm surface wind. The GFA cloud forecast showed cirrus clouds above the accident site and lower cloud cover in northwestern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee.
The pilot requested and received weather information through ForeFlight at 0757, including valid AIRMETs, PIREPs, GFA, and METARs.
Takeoff minimums and obstacle departure procedures for DZJ (an uncontrolled airport) required pilots to climb in visual conditions to cross the airport at or above 4,500 ft msl before proceeding on course. Visual climb minimums were 2,700 ft ceiling and 3 miles visibility. The DZJ weather at 0815 included a ceiling of 200 ft overcast with ¼ mile visibility in fog.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane struck tree tops before colliding with terrain on the banks of Nottely Lake. The wreckage debris field measured about 265 ft long and 30 ft wide. The measured descent angle from tree breaks to the initial impact crater was 22°. Examination revealed all major structural components were accounted for, and there was no fire.
The fuselage and cabin were inverted, fragmented, and destroyed by impact forces. The front seats were separated from their seat tracks and the main wreckage. Impact damage to the nose landing gear prevented determination of its preaccident position. Primary flight control cable continuity was established from the cockpit to control surfaces.
The left wing was broken near the root and folded over onto the right wing. The left main landing gear was found retracted; impact damage prevented its extension. The left flap remained attached, but its preaccident position could not be determined. Fuel cells were separated from the wing and shredded, with no residual fuel.
The right wing exhibited damage consistent with multiple tree strikes. The right main landing gear was extended. The right flap was torn and separated chordwise; its preaccident position could not be determined. Fuel cells were torn and shredded, with no residual fuel.
The engine was examined at a storage facility. Cylinder heads Nos. 2 and 4 had impact damage, as did induction and exhaust tubing, mufflers, and oil sump. The carburetor was fractured and separated. The engine was suspended for further examination; manual rotation produced compression and suction on all six cylinders. A lighted borescope revealed no anomalies inside cylinders. Both magnetos produced spark when rotated. The oil suction screen and paper filter were free of metallic debris. The vacuum pump had no anomalies.
The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange. One blade was bent aft about 30° at mid-span, with leading edge gouges, chord-wise scoring, and longitudinal twisting. The other blade turned about 90° in the hub and curved aft about 30°, exhibiting leading and trailing edge gouges, chord-wise scoring, and twisting.
The airplane was equipped with a JPI EDM 700 engine monitor. The unit was damaged; data recovery yielded a last recorded segment of about 15 minutes that did not appear to be from the accident flight nor a complete flight from engine start.
Examination of the engine and propeller found no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or anomaly that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy by the Division of Forensic Sciences, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, determined the cause of death as multiple generalized blunt force injuries and the manner as accident. Toxicology testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol in the pilot’s liver tissue at 0.013 gm/hg but not in muscle tissue. The blood pressure medication amlodipine was detected in liver and muscle tissue; this medication is generally considered non-impairing.