History of Flight
On April 21, 2022, at 1844 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 340, registration N84GR, was destroyed in an accident in Covington, Georgia. The private pilot and student pilot on board sustained fatal injuries. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to the student pilot's partner, the student pilot, who had recently purchased the multi-engine airplane, and a private pilot flew commercially to Lubbock, Texas, on April 20. They then traveled to Portales, New Mexico, to finalize the purchase and flew the airplane to Covington Municipal Airport (CVC) in Atlanta, Georgia, arriving around 11 pm that night. The next day, the student pilot began flight training with the private pilot, whom the partner believed to be his flight instructor.
Radar data provided by the FAA showed the accident airplane departed Dekalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) about 1640, flew to Gwinnett County Airport-Briscoe Field (LZU), then to Lumpkin County-Wimpey’s Airport (9A0), and departed 9A0 about 1813 en route to CVC. It crashed during approach near the airport at 1844.
Multiple witnesses reported seeing the airplane execute a hard right banking turn, followed by a spiral descent and impact with a row of unoccupied semi-trailers. Surveillance footage from a parking lot security camera captured the airplane in a right spiral turn just before the accident, corroborating witness accounts.
Pilot Information
The private pilot, who offered to instruct the student on flying the multi-engine airplane, held a single-engine land rating but did not have a multi-engine land airplane rating or a flight instructor’s rating. His logbook was not available for review, but he reported flight experience of 3,148 total hours, with 31 hours in the last six months as of December 12, 2016. He was issued a second-class medical certificate without limitations.
The student pilot reported zero total flight hours and zero hours in the last six months as of his medical exam dated January 26, 2022. He was issued a second-class medical certificate without limitations. His logbook was also not available for review.
Aircraft Information
A review of the maintenance logbooks indicated that the aircraft had surpassed its annual inspection deadline by over a month, which was March 4, 2021. Since the airplane was “out-of-annual,” a special flight permit (ferry permit) was required for it to be flown. No FAA Form 8130-6 for special flight permits was issued for the airplane for its flight from New Mexico to Georgia.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located 1 nautical mile southeast of runway 10/28. It impacted an unoccupied semi-truck trailer and a commercial business parking lot. A postimpact fire consumed most of the airframe. Remnants of the right horizontal stabilizer, elevator, vertical stabilizer, and rudder were found within the debris area. Flight control cables were traced from control surfaces to their bellcranks and to the cockpit controls. The cockpit and instrument panel were destroyed by fire. Engine control positions were unreliable due to fire and impact damage.
Examination of both engines revealed fire and impact damage. All fuel lines and ignition wiring were destroyed. Both engines separated from the airframe and sustained thermal damage. No obvious preimpact abnormalities were noted in either engine. Both vacuum pump drive shafts were melted. Charred debris was found in fuel injectors of both engines. The left engine fuel distribution valve burned away; the right engine fuel distribution valve gasket burned and deposited debris on the screen.
Both propellers had similar impact damage. All three blades on each propeller were partially consumed in the fire. Blade damage included chordwise/rotational scoring, bending aft, and leading-edge gouging consistent with impact while rotating with power. There was no damage indicating either propeller was feathered at impact. Internal damage indicated the blade angle was in the low pitch range at impact. No anomalies were noted that would prevent or degrade normal operation before impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the private pilot determined the cause of death as multiple blunt impact injuries and the manner as accident. Toxicology testing was negative for carbon monoxide and drugs.
An autopsy of the student pilot determined the cause of death as inhalation of products of combustion and thermal injuries, and the manner as accident. Toxicology testing was negative for carbon monoxide. Amphetamine, a prescription Schedule II controlled substance, was detected in heart blood at 60 ng/mL and urine at 1531 ng/mL. Cetirizine, an over-the-counter antihistamine, was detected at a low level in heart blood and in urine at 121 ng/mL.