Accident Overview
On February 24, 2024, at approximately 1140 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, registration N8963N, was destroyed in an accident near Jackson, Ohio. The pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The non-instrument-rated private pilot and two passengers had departed runway 01 at James A Rhodes Airport (JRO) in Jackson, Ohio, at 1136 for a visual flight rules cross-country flight to Haines City, Florida, to pick up a vehicle.
Witness Accounts
Two witnesses observed the flight. A witness living on the airport property about three-quarters down the length of the field, who was also a flight instructor, reported that the takeoff appeared normal. However, he noted that "it was snowing very hard and windy" and that due to restricted visibility and "icy" conditions, he told his wife to note the time, as he did not feel the flight would have a good outcome. He stated the airplane was in the clouds when it reached the end of the 5,201-foot runway. He estimated visibility to be about 1/2 mile due to heavy snowfall.
A second witness, located about 1/2 mile west of the runway, reported that the airplane turned left after takeoff and flew so low over his property that, if not for the snow, he could have read the registration number. The airplane continued in a left circle back toward the runway until it was lost from view due to snow. Shortly thereafter, he heard the impact. He estimated the airplane was airborne for 3 to 5 minutes.
Wreckage and Examination
The airplane came to rest about 1/2 mile from the departure end of runway 01. The wreckage path was on a heading of 270°, and the main wreckage came to rest on a heading of 110°. Postaccident examination revealed that the fuselage and cockpit were mostly consumed by postimpact fire. All flight control surfaces were present. All seats except the front right seat were separated from their mounts. Non-metal seat material and lap belt and shoulder harness webbing were consumed by fire. The instrument panel was fragmented and burned; no instrument readings were obtained. The throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were reduced to metal cables, and no position settings could be determined. The manual flap selector was found set to the full flap extended position, verified at the flap torque tube and control rod on the left side.
Both wings displayed compression damage along the leading edges and were separated at the wing roots. Aileron control continuity was confirmed from the control surfaces through overload separations to near the aileron drive chain, which was fully intact. The vertical stabilizer and stabilator remained attached with little deformation except for the right outboard portion of the stabilator bent upward. Rudder and stabilator continuity were confirmed.
Engine examination revealed "Normal Condition" spark plugs per the Champion Aviation Check-a-Plug chart. Borescope inspection of cylinders showed no anomalies. Crankshaft continuity was confirmed, and thumb compression and suction were achieved on all cylinders. Propeller blades exhibited chordwise scoring and leading-edge abrasion; one blade showed aft bending, and another torsional twisting. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were found that would have precluded normal operation.
Meteorological and Pilot Information
The reported weather at JRO at 1135 included overcast clouds at 1,200 feet, 1 3/4 miles visibility in light snow, and gusting wind. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-16 visible data indicated cloudy conditions at the departure airport and en route. Weather radar imagery showed bands of light precipitation moving from northwest to southeast. The pilot had generated and received a weather briefing from ForeFlight after 0700 that contained forecasts for instrument flight rules surface visibilities, likely light snow, and G-AIRMETs Sierra and Zulu.
According to the pilot's flight instructor, the pilot had accrued about 20 hours of "flying under the hood" and was working on his instrument rating. The airplane's track was not captured by ADS-B data, and no onboard digital data recording devices were recovered.
Toxicology
The Montgomery County Coroner's Office performed the pilot's autopsy. The cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, and no significant natural disease was identified. Postmortem toxicological testing detected diphenhydramine at 423 ng/g in spleen tissue. The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory also detected diphenhydramine and tadalafil in liver and muscle tissue, and ranitidine in liver tissue (testing for ranitidine in muscle was inconclusive). No blood was available for testing.
Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine that can cause cognitive and psychomotor slowing and drowsiness. The FAA advises that pilots should not fly within 60 hours of using diphenhydramine. Tadalafil is a prescription medication typically not impairing, but the FAA recommends waiting 24 hours after use before flying for as-needed use, and a 7-day ground trial for daily use. Ranitidine is a stomach acid suppression medication not generally considered impairing.