History of Flight
On March 5, 2023, at about 1114 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-22-150, N3410Z, was substantially damaged when it collided with a tree near Blue Ridge, Georgia. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to a witness, the pilot's flight instructor, the pilot planned to conduct airport traffic pattern work. It was the pilot's first flight of the day and the second departure from Blue Ridge Skyport Airport (57GA). The instructor reported working with the pilot for a couple of months to help him regain proficiency after not flying for many years; the pilot was working toward a flight review sign-off. The instructor noted that 57GA was a challenging airport to land at, so the routine involved the pilot taking off from 57GA, conducting pattern work, and landing at Martin Campbell Field Airport (1A3) in Copperhill, Tennessee. The instructor would then drive to 1A3 to meet the pilot and fly the airplane back to 57GA.
The instructor had provided 3.9 hours of instruction to the pilot before the accident. On the accident day, the pilot took off from runway 18 and climbed to about 200 ft. During the climb, the instructor heard the engine sound as if it was losing power. He watched the airplane make a left turn toward a field, then descend and collide with a tree. The instructor ran to the end of the runway, saw the airplane suspended in the tree, and contacted local authorities.
Personnel Information
A review of the pilot's logbook revealed a total of 151 flight hours. Between 1988 and 1990, the pilot accumulated 90 hours in the PA-22. In 2023, the pilot logged 7 hours, all in the accident airplane make and model.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located about 500 ft to the left of the departure end of runway 18 at 57GA. The airplane was removed from the tree for examination. All flight control surfaces were impact-damaged but still attached to the airframe. Cockpit flight controls were impact-damaged. Continuity of flight control cables to the surfaces was established. The engine had separated from the airframe and was found about 30 ft in front of the fuselage. Cockpit engine controls were impact-damaged. An unquantified amount of fuel was leaking from both fuel tanks, which had sustained impact damage, but the fuel caps were securely locked. Recovery personnel drained several gallons of fuel from both tanks after removing the wings. No fuel was present in the broken lines from the fuel pump to the carburetor. The fuel strainer was clean and unobstructed. The lever-action pump operated normally when manually activated.
Photographs taken by first responders showed the fuel selector positioned between the "Right" tank and "Both" tank positions. According to the fuel selector's manufacturer, the 45° position shuts off fuel flow. Inspection of the selector revealed no anomalies that would prevent normal operation. The pilot's instructor reported that the selector was located near the pilot's leg, and due to the pilot's size, his leg rested on the selector.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined the cause of death as blunt force injuries and the manner as accident. Toxicology testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory found no drugs of abuse.