Accident Summary
On April 16, 2022, about 1952 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32-260, N3618W, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain during a forced landing near Grantsville, Maryland. The pilot and two passengers received minor injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight History
According to the pilot, a preflight inspection revealed no anomalies. He obtained a weather briefing and departed Wabash Municipal Airport (IWH), Wabash, Indiana, for Martin State Airport (MTN), Baltimore, Maryland, on an instrument flight rules clearance. About two hours into the flight, at approximately 11,000 ft mean sea level (msl), the airplane approached clouds. The pilot increased engine power and activated the pitot heat. The airplane was underperforming and unable to climb over the clouds. After entering the clouds, the pilot noted decreasing airspeed and the autopilot increasing pitch to maintain altitude. He disengaged the autopilot, reduced pitch, but found it difficult to maintain pitch control. He inspected the wings and windscreen for ice but saw none.
The pilot notified air traffic control of control difficulties, and controllers declared an emergency. The airplane descended out of the clouds into heavy rain. The pilot executed a forced landing onto a road. During the landing, the airplane struck trees and terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage.
Weather Conditions
Composite weather radar images from 1935 to 1948 indicated light to moderate precipitation along the flight path. The upper air sounding showed the freezing level at 5,100 ft msl, with cloud conditions expected up to 13,000 ft msl. The National Weather Service's Current Icing Product (CIP) and Forecast Icing Product (FIP) indicated a 40 to 85% probability of icing from 9,000 ft to 11,000 ft msl, with intensities ranging from light to heavy. An AIRMET for icing, valid from 1700 to 2000, forecast moderate icing between the freezing level and 17,000 ft msl. The pilot had received a ForeFlight weather briefing at 1713 and reported that moderate icing was forecast.
Postaccident Examination and Performance Study
Postaccident examination confirmed flight control continuity from the cockpit to the control surfaces, with cuts by recovery personnel and tensile overload fractures. Engine continuity was verified, with compression on all cylinders and no pre-impact anomalies. A required placard stating the airplane was approved for non-icing flight was missing from the left side of the cockpit.
A performance study using ADS-B data revealed increases in drag during level flight above 10,000 ft and during the final descent. At 1945, pitch increased while airspeed decreased, consistent with autopilot activation. After the pilot disconnected the autopilot at about 1946:30, pitch decreased, and the airplane began descending 15 seconds later with a marked drag increase. At 1947, a right turn and further pitch increase occurred, with drag peaking at four times prior levels; calculated airspeed dropped to near 54 knots, below the stall speed of 57 knots. At 1948, a sudden loss of lift consistent with an aerodynamic stall occurred, followed by recovery. Later, at 1951, another sudden lift loss occurred at a much lower angle of attack and higher airspeed (above 100 knots). ADS-B data ended as the airplane descended below 150 ft above terrain; the accident site was about 2,500 ft beyond.