History of Flight
On March 23, 2023, at approximately 1644 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-46-350P, registered as N280KC, was destroyed in an accident at Northeast Florida Regional Airport (SGJ) in St. Augustine, Florida. The pilot and his wife, who was the passenger, were seriously injured. The couple's dog, also on board, died from injuries sustained in the crash. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal trip.
The pilot requested runway 24 for departure and was cleared to back taxi to use the full length of the runway. The air traffic controller reported wind from 140° at 12 knots at the time of the clearance. A designated pilot examiner conducting a practical test at SGJ observed the accident airplane rotate near the intersection of runway 24 and taxiway D3. The airplane began a shallow climb, with the engine sounding as if it was at full power. After clearing the runway end, the airplane pitched up steeply to an estimated 100 feet altitude, then began settling. It barely cleared streetlights along U.S. Route 1, then rolled slightly left and struck trees west of the highway, near the extended runway centerline. A large fireball erupted upon impact.
Personnel Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on October 19, 2021, at which time he reported approximately 1,800 total flight hours. The pilot's flight logbook was lost in the fire; he estimated that he had accumulated about 2,000 total flight hours by the time of the accident.
Meteorological Information
The weather reported at SGJ at 1654, about 10 minutes after the accident, included wind from 140° at 13 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 24°C, dew point 16°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.19 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination of the wreckage revealed heavy ground impact forces and extensive post-impact fire, which consumed most of the roof, windscreen, windows, and interior. The left wing sustained heavy damage; its outboard portion separated near the landing gear well. The left main landing gear was retracted. The right wing also sustained heavy impact and fire damage, with the right aileron separated from the wing. The flap handle was found in a mid-range position consistent with 20° flaps, and the landing gear handle was in the retracted position. The throttle and propeller controls were full forward; the mixture control was at a mid-range position. The fuel selector was in the right tank position.
Control cable continuity was confirmed for elevator, elevator trim, and rudder from a cut point aft of the outflow valves to the cockpit floor, though deformation bound the cables at that location. Aileron cables were bound by impact deformation; no pre-impact failures or malfunctions were found in the flight control system.
The engine exhibited fire damage and heavy corrosion on the rear gears. The propeller was heavily damaged; the governor control arm was at the full increase RPM position. The fuel injector servo was thermally damaged; the fuel screen was clean. The oil filter media showed no metallic debris.
Additional Information
Performance and Weight and Balance
Review of airport diagrams indicated that runways 6 and 24 were closer to the pilot's hangar than runway 13. The pilot stated that the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) indicated runways 6 and 13 were in use, but he believed the windsock favored runway 24. Review of ATIS broadcasts showed that wind did not favor runway 24, and using that runway resulted in a tailwind component of about 3.31 knots with an 11-knot crosswind component. The pilot requested and was cleared to take off on runway 24 but did not use the entire length; he initiated takeoff with about 400 feet of runway behind him, leaving approximately 2,301 feet ahead. He stated he was reluctant to cross runway 13.
The pilot indicated he used 20° flaps. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH), with flaps at 20° and within certificated weight and balance, the ground roll should have been 1,350 feet, and the distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle should have been 2,500 feet.
Weight and balance analysis, based on recovered items including over three cases of beer, groceries, baggage, occupants, and fuel, indicated that the total weight exceeded the maximum takeoff weight by at least 14 pounds, even before accounting for items consumed by fire. Additionally, the center of gravity was found to be outside the forward limit of the operating envelope.