What happened
On June 17, 2024, a Piper PA-31-310, registered as C-GKSI, was involved in an accident in Loudonville, New York. The aircraft was operating as a Part 91 positioning flight from Albany International Airport (ALB) to Montreal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (CYUL) following aerial survey work in North Carolina.
After departing runway 19 at 08:15, the aircraft climbed to between 200 and 300 feet above ground level. Witnesses and radar data indicated that the aircraft then performed a series of abrupt maneuvers, including pitching up, leveling, and pitching up again to approximately 800 feet. The aircraft then executed a barrel roll and completed one or two 360-degree rolls before descending. The final radar contact showed the aircraft at 200 feet, 1.5 nautical miles southeast of ALB, traveling at 97 knots.
The aircraft impacted a wooded area, striking several trees, and came to rest upright. The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury, while a person on the ground sustained minor injuries after being struck by debris.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage showed that the left engine had separated from its wing attachment points, and the left propeller had separated from its mounting flange. Both propellers exhibited damage consistent with rotation at the time of impact. A post-impact fire heavily damaged the wings, fuselage, empennage, and instrument panel, though no evidence of an in-flight fire was found.
Mechanical examinations of both engines showed no evidence of malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation. Investigators confirmed the continuity of the aileron flight controls. While the rudder cables were burned away from the rudder horn, the remaining cables were continuous through fractures consistent with overload. The elevator control was also confirmed to be continuous through fractures consistent with overload. Additionally, the elevator trim actuator was found in a full nose-up trim condition.