History of Flight
On September 14, 2022, about 2300 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, N2104J, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Afton, Virginia. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to the airport manager at Blue Ridge Airport (MTV), Martinsville, Virginia, the pilot had diverted to MTV on September 10, 2022, due to weather. He purchased 72 gallons of fuel, left the airplane, and returned to Pennsylvania via commercial flight. On the accident day, the pilot returned to MTV to retrieve the airplane with the intention of flying to Smoketown Airport (S37), Smoketown, Pennsylvania.
Automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) and communication data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that the airplane was in cruise flight at 7,500 ft mean sea level when the pilot reported a rough running engine, followed by a total loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to glide to Charlottesville-Albemarle (CHO), Charlottesville, Virginia, but the airplane impacted wooded terrain about 15 miles southwest of CHO.
Aircraft Information
The airplane’s logbooks were not recovered and were presumed destroyed during the postcrash fire. However, the maintenance facility that completed the most recent annual inspection on August 1, 2022, provided copies of their work order and logbook endorsements. At that time, the airframe had 5,125 total hours and the engine had 1,250 hours since new (factory remanufacture). The oil was not changed during the annual inspection as it had been changed 1 flight hour prior, on May 31, 2022. A laboratory report of the engine oil, dated June 10, 2021, did not reveal any remarkable anomalies.
Wreckage and Impact Information
A debris path about 100 ft long was observed, extending on a 60° magnetic course, consisting of severed trees at a downward angle of about 45°. The wreckage came to rest upright, oriented on a magnetic heading of 240°. The cockpit and cabin were consumed by fire. The fuel selector valve exhibited thermal damage and was positioned to the left main fuel tank. The fuel strainer bowl was thermally damaged, and the fuel strainer screen was destroyed. Flight control cable continuity was established from the cockpit to each control surface except for a separation in the rudder cables consistent with impact forces. The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange; one blade appeared straight and undamaged, the other was bent aft about 90°. The spinner was crushed on one side.
The crankshaft could not be rotated by hand. Removal of the rear accessory case housing revealed fragments of connecting rod cap on top of the oil sump baffling. Removal of the oil sump revealed about 1 quart of oil remaining with additional metal fragments. No oil was observed on the ramp at the departure airport and no oil streaks were observed on the airframe, but postimpact fire consumed a majority of the airframe. The lower oil cooler return line was found loose with no safety wire installed before removal from the engine; no evidence of oil leakage was observed.
Nos. 1 and 2 cylinders were removed, and their connecting rods remained intact. The remaining four cylinders could not be removed. An access hole was cut through the oil sump baffling for visual examination, revealing that the remaining four connecting rods were fractured. The crankshaft remained intact.
Teardown examination at the manufacturer’s facility revealed that Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6 connecting rods separated from the crankshaft but remained attached to their respective pistons. The No. 6 connecting rod had protruded out of the crankcase between tappet bores. Some connecting rod pieces found in the oil sump were identified by arm locations: two pieces from No. 3, one from No. 4, and two from No. 6. The Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6 connecting rod journals were blackened, scored, melted, and missing base metal. All oil feed areas from main journals to connecting rod journals were free of obstructions. A crack in the oil sump was examined metallurgically and revealed overstress features consistent with impact and thermal stress, with no fatigue observed.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Health, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Richmond, Virginia, determined the cause of death as “thermal injury and inhalation of products of combustion.” Toxicological testing by the FAA Office of Forensic Sciences was negative for drugs and alcohol.