History of Flight
On May 11, 2022, about 1853 Eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, N8007P, was substantially damaged during an accident near Athens, Georgia. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to a flight instructor, the pilot had recently purchased the airplane and wanted to familiarize himself with the RayJay turbocharger system before flying home to Texas. Two days before the accident, they departed to practice at 10,000 ft, but the engine was not developing full power and manifold pressure was low. Maintenance found a loose wire grounding a magneto and replaced it. The next day, performance improved but manifold pressure remained inadequate; maintenance made further adjustments. During a subsequent flight, maintenance reported backfiring, but the pilots did not hear it or see cockpit indications.
A maintenance logbook entry on the accident date noted "engine running rough and backfire low manifold pressure." Spark plugs were cleaned, gapped, tested, and reinstalled. The mixture was adjusted at the fuel servo to achieve a 50 rpm rise and 26 inches of manifold pressure. An engine runup was performed and the airplane returned to service.
The instructor was unavailable on the accident day but spoke with the pilot, who said maintenance adjustments had resolved the issues and the airplane was making adequate power. The pilot planned to depart that afternoon for Texas. The instructor suggested waiting a few days for more experience, but the pilot felt capable and wanted to beat the weather.
Air traffic control data showed the airplane departed Triangle North Executive Airport (LHZ), Louisburg, North Carolina, about 1619, flying southwest at 4,000-5,000 ft msl for about 2 hours 20 minutes. About 15 minutes before the loss of engine power, about 21 nautical miles east of Athens/Ben Epps Airport (AHN), the airplane completed two 360° turns right, then continued southwest in a gradual descent toward AHN. At 1844, about 10 miles east of AHN, the pilot contacted ATC and was instructed to land on runway 27. At 1848, about 1 mile from the runway, the pilot declared an emergency and stated he had "lost" the engine. No further transmissions were received. The last track data at 1852 showed the airplane descending through 925 ft msl, about 200 ft agl.
Pilot Information
A flight instructor who flew with the pilot in February noted his skills were rusty; they flew 10 hours and the instructor did not endorse a flight review due to poor emergency procedures and situational awareness. The pilot then sought high performance and complex endorsements in April, stating he intended to buy a turbocharged Piper Comanche 250 and needed hours for insurance. The airplane had no autopilot. The pilot mentioned hiring a ferry pilot, but the instructor urged more training. Between February and May, the pilot logged about 15 flight hours, including 4.5 hours of flight and 3 hours of ground instruction in April. His logbook was not recovered. His private pilot certificate was issued in 2003; on a January 2022 medical application, he reported 78 total hours.
Aircraft Information
The engine was originally installed in 1971 and overhauled on June 7, 1989. In the 6 years before the accident, the airplane flew about 80 hours. The first logbook entry noting engine backfiring was June 2018; backfiring appeared again in prebuy inspection and accident-day entries. Between June 2018 and the accident, the engine accumulated about 22 hours tach time. Six days before the accident, new engine mounts were installed; spark plugs cleaned and reinstalled; fuel injectors removed and cleaned; seals on two cylinders replaced; and the No. 2 cylinder fuel line replaced. An engine runup was performed and the airplane returned to service.
According to Lycoming Service Instruction No. 1009BE, engines should be overhauled within 12 calendar years of first service or last overhaul to mitigate age-related deterioration.
Data from the aircraft's tachometer showed engine rpm remained in normal range until power loss. Oil temperature stayed normal, but about 11 minutes before power loss, oil pressure briefly dropped to zero. The gauge recorded every 236 seconds (about 4 minutes).
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane impacted a wooded area on a residential property about 3/4 mile from the approach end of runway 27 at AHN. The debris path was about 50 ft long on a magnetic heading of 070°. An extensive postimpact fire occurred. All major structural components were present. Flight control continuity was established. About 10 gallons of fuel were recovered from the left wing. The propeller remained attached with minor scratches on blade leading edges. The fuel flow divider and injector nozzles were intact and contained fuel. The engine-driven fuel pump and lines contained fuel; the pump disintegrated upon disassembly. The fuel servo initially showed a rich test result but operated within normal range in a subsequent test.
Both magnetos were removed. The left magneto sparked at all leads. The right magneto failed to spark; its shaft was off-center due to impact damage. The engine rotated manually with internal continuity; cylinders examined via borescope showed no anomalies. The turbocharger system remained attached; the left vane spun freely, while the right vane was impact-damaged.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries, and the manner of death as accident. Toxicology testing found rosuvastatin, a cholesterol medication, in the pilot's blood and urine.