History of Flight
On December 3, 2022, at 1938 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-151, registration N4676F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Venice, Florida. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The flight was operated as a personal flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data, the airplane departed St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) in St. Petersburg, Florida, on the afternoon of the accident and flew to Venice Municipal Airport (VNC). The accident occurred during takeoff on the return flight to PIE while operating under visual flight rules.
The airplane departed runway 23, which is 5,000 ft long. Flight track data showed liftoff at 1937:44, about 4,100 ft beyond the approach end at 88 knots groundspeed. Over the remaining 900 ft of runway, the airplane accelerated to 90 knots and climbed to about 50 ft. Over the next 4 seconds, two data plots showed altitudes of 75 ft and groundspeeds of 91 and 94 knots, respectively, before descent. At 1938:00, the final plot showed the airplane at 0 ft and 109 knots groundspeed about 1,800 ft beyond the departure end of runway 23.
Airport surveillance video depicted an airplane departing runway 23 with little to no angle of climb into a dark sky. The direction of takeoff would have resulted in flight over dark water with no discernable horizon.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued January 27, 2022, and he reported 10 total hours of flight experience at that time. The pilot’s logbook was not recovered.
The pilot rented the accident airplane from the operator where he received flight training. An FAA inspector reviewed rental and instruction records, which showed the pilot had accrued 74.2 total hours, of which 67.6 were in the accident make and model. He obtained his private pilot certificate on July 31, 2022, and had accrued 13.5 hours since that date.
The pilot had accrued 4.6 total hours of night flying experience, with 1.1 hours about 6 weeks before the accident, his only night flight since certification.
Meteorological Information
Dark night conditions prevailed at Venice Municipal Airport at the time. Reported weather included wind from 070° at 7 knots, a broken cloud ceiling at 5,000 ft above ground level, and 7 statute miles visibility. The moon was above the horizon at an elevation of 60.37° and azimuth 127.17°, with 83.7% of its disk illuminated.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Local emergency services and a commercial salvage operator recovered most of the wreckage from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico, beneath about 15 ft of water. The engine with propeller, engine mounts, firewall, and instrument panel were found separated and recovered as one piece. The cabin (with second-row seat) and empennage with tail section were raised, along with both wings, which remained attached by torn metal, control cables, and wires. Both wings displayed uniform leading-edge crushing consistent with hydraulic deformation. Control continuity was confirmed from flight controls through cuts made by recovery personnel to all control surfaces.
About 4 ft of fuselage between the instrument panel and main wing spar box—containing the main cabin door, front seats, and fuel selector valve—was separated and not recovered.
Visual examination of the engine revealed minor impact damage to intake/exhaust stacks, mufflers, and ignition P-leads. The carburetor mount was fractured but remained attached by cables. Engine continuity was established, compression confirmed on all cylinders, and magnetos produced spark. The carburetor was disassembled; floats were intact and no anomalies noted. The oil suction screen was clean. No pre-impact mechanical anomalies were found that would have prevented normal operation.
Additional Information
The FAA Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge describes the somatogravic illusion: a rapid acceleration during takeoff may create the illusion of a nose-up attitude, especially with poor visual references, leading a disoriented pilot to push the aircraft into a nose-low or dive attitude.
FAA Publication AM-400-03/1 describes the head-up illusion: sudden forward linear acceleration in level flight can cause a pilot to perceive the nose pitching up, resulting in a forward yoke push. A night takeoff from a well-lit airport into a dark sky (black hole) can also lead to this illusion and could result in a crash.
Medical and Pathological Information
Searches by the United States Coast Guard and local law enforcement recovered the passengers, but the search for the pilot’s remains was unsuccessful.