What happened
On August 19, 2023, a Piper J5A, registration N35417, was involved in a fatal accident near Iola, Wisconsin. The pilot had flown the aircraft from Escanaba, Michigan, to Central County Airport (68C) for a scheduled annual inspection. At the time of the flight, the aircraft's annual inspection had been expired for approximately 11 months, and there was no record of a ferry permit for the flight.
GPS data from a recovered Lowrance AirMap 2000C showed the aircraft performing several turns around the airport before proceeding onto a grass taxiway. The aircraft was found nosed over at the end of the taxiway, which was oriented at a heading of approximately 030°. The weather at the time was VMC with a wind of 190/13kt.
The investigation
Investigators found that the aircraft sustained substantial damage due to the impact of the rudder. While the right front brake master cylinder arm was secured to the pilot seat frame with a bungee cord, testing showed the brakes functioned normally.
Mechanical examination of the engine and flight controls showed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. Although the aircraft was found with no usable fuel, the flight path indicated the pilot had enough fuel to complete the flight.
An autopsy of the pilot determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the chest. The medical examination noted a history of cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery bypass grafts and hypertension. Postmortem toxicology testing revealed the presence of tramadol, venlafaxine, and traces of cannabis (delta-9-THC).