20030508010489A

(-23) On may 8, 2003, at 2020 eastern daylight time, the wreckage of a missing Piper PA-32-300, N32038, registered to and operated by a commercial pilot was found on horn mountain, calhoun, Georgia. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of title 14 part 91 and visual flight rules with no flight plan filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed, and the pilot and pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed campbell county airport, jacksboro, Tennessee, on may 5, 2003, at 1200 central daylight time. According to family members the airplane departed jacksboro, Tennessee, on a cross country flight to geneva, Georgia. The pilot had traveled the route of flight on the previous day. After family members did not hear from the pilot the next day they became concerned and contacted the local authorities. The civil air patrol (cap) initiated an air search on may 5, 2003, but postponed it due to inclement weather conditions. On may 8, 2003, eastern daylight time, the air search commenced. At 1945, air spotters located the wreckage site of the downed airplane. The air spotters circled the site until the ground crews arrived. At 2330 the ground crews made a positive identification on the downed airplane. Examination of the wreckage path revealed, the trajectory of the airplane was on a 180-degree heading. The wreckage was dispersed approximately 100 yards through a densely wooded area. There were freshly broken trees throughout the wreckage path. The right wing tip was located at the base of a tree at the beginning of the wreckage path. Approximately 25 feet forward of the right wing tip a four-foot section of the right wing leading edge was located. 75 feet from the leading edge the inboard section of the right wing was located in area of very dense brush. The main fuselage was located approximately 50 feet from the inboard section of the right wing, at a 45-degree angle, inverted in a tree. The cabin section of the airplane was 15 feet above the ground, and the tail section rested at the base of the tree. The left inboard section of the wing was broken off at the wing root area, and resting on the underside of the fuselage. The horizontal and vertical stabilizers were still attached to the main fuselage. A five foot section of the left outboard wing was located 15 feet forward of the fuselage on the ground. The engine was located approximately 50 feet forward of the main fuselage. The propeller blades were still attached to the engine with "s" type bending and chord-wise scoring. All flight control surfaces were accounted for at the wreckage site.