History of Flight
On October 31, 2023, at 1123 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, registration N44601, was destroyed in an accident near Marion, Ohio. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91.
A witness reported hearing an airplane with an oscillating engine sound. He observed the airplane flying south before it entered a left circling turn with a white mist trailing. The engine then cut out, and the airplane pitched nose-down and impacted the ground.
A residential video doorbell captured audio of the airplane before impact. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Vehicle Recorders Laboratory conducted a sound spectrum study, which estimated that shortly before ground impact, the engine speed significantly exceeded its rated 2,700 rpm. The accurate maximum speed could not be determined due to Doppler frequency shifts.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage came to rest in an open field about half a mile from a county road. The impact attitude was steep, nose-down, and near vertical, with a magnetic heading of 090°. The engine and propeller were buried approximately 2 feet deep. A post-impact fire destroyed most of the airframe.
The left wing exhibited accordion crushing along its leading edge. The left wingtip fuel tank was consumed by fire, while the left aileron and flap remained partially attached. The right wing was destroyed by fire and remained connected to the left wing only by the aileron crossover cable and flap torque tube. Flight control continuity was observed to all primary controls through damaged cables and bell cranks.
The aileron control cables were attached at both ends but the left primary cable separated near the control chain junction, displaying overload damage. The control chain was broken into pieces. The manual flap selector was burned and deformed, found in the 10° flaps extended position. The flap torque tube was impact damaged, and control chains were off the sprockets. The right flap torque tube indicated a fully retracted position.
Rudder cables remained continuous from the rudder horn to the rudder bar. Stabilator control cables were attached and continuous from the empennage to the control column. The stabilator balance weight remained attached.
The propeller hub fragmented and separated from the engine flange. Several cylinders sustained impact damage. The No. 4 cylinder, connecting rod, and piston separated from the crankcase. One connecting rod bolt was missing. The crankshaft could not be rotated. A borescope inspection of remaining cylinders found no anomalies. Oil was present, and the oil suction screen contained ferrous and non-ferrous metallic debris. Further disassembly revealed no damage to the crankshaft, camshaft, bearings, or oil pump beyond impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
Toxicology testing of the pilot detected atorvastatin in liver and muscle tissue. Atorvastatin, used to control cholesterol, is not generally considered impairing. Testing of the pilot-rated passenger revealed atorvastatin, loratadine, desloratadine, warfarin, and carvedilol (in muscle only). None of these medications are generally considered impairing. Toxicology provided no evidence of in-flight fire or carbon monoxide poisoning; no soot was found in the lungs. Autopsies determined the cause of death for both individuals as multiple blunt force trauma.
Additional Information
A performance study using ADS-B data was conducted. The airplane departed Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK) in Columbus, Ohio at 1058, climbed to 4,000 ft msl, then turned north and climbed to about 6,000 ft. Airspeed varied; after some fluctuations, it settled at 110 kts on a steady 350° track from 1113 to 1119. Around 1120, speed decreased from 108 to 101 kts while track and altitude remained constant. The airplane then accelerated to 120 kts while turning right to 36°. At 1121:45, speed decreased, and by 1121:55, the airplane descended at 1,000 ft/min. Airspeed stabilized near 100 kts before data ended at 1122:26. The descent and deceleration after 1121:50 indicated a reduction in total energy consistent with a loss of thrust.
According to the airplane's Information Manual, glide performance was 7.5 miles per 5,000 ft altitude loss with no flaps, no wind, propeller windmilling, and airspeed between 78–87 kts. During the descent that began at 1121:50, the airplane outperformed this glide performance while flying 10 kts faster than recommended and with a tailwind.
At the final ADS-B point, the airplane was at 5,475 ft altitude; ground elevation was about 1,000 ft. The calculated glide range was 6.6 miles. Both Marion Municipal Airport and Morrow County Airport were beyond that range. The wreckage was located 4,800 ft from the final ADS-B return at 951 ft msl, and the impact attitude was nearly vertical on a heading of 090°.