20190528005309A

Aircraft was VFR on a flight from Mt. Sterling Kentucky (kiob) to geauga county airport (7G8). The pilot made a stop at cincinnati lunken airport to drop off a passenger before continuing to geauga county. Weather containing heavy rain and thunderstorm activity in the northeast Ohio area caused the pilot to stop briefly at wooster/ wayne county airport (kbjj) to wait for the weather to clear. According to the pilot's girlfriend he inquired about the weather conditions at around 2226 local time. This was the last communication received from the pilot. At approximately 2355 local time a witness stated he heard an aircraft flying close to the area. When he looked up with a flash light he said the weather appeared to be very low hanging clouds. Shortly after hearing the aircraft he heard a loud boom. The witnesses' wife also heard the boom but both concluded it was thunder as storms had passed the area earlier that evening.

The pilot's girlfriend had been tracking the aircraft as it flew towards geauga county airport. The app shows the aircraft making a turn to the northwest and then a turn back to the south/ south east before the track ended near the east bank of the ladue reservoir. The speed shown on the app was 169 knots at an altitude of 1300 feet MSL. This is approximately 100 feet above the local elevation for that area.

The weather in the area varied between VFR and IFR. The weather for portage county airport (kpov) about ten NM south of the crash site at 2355 local time was calm winds and 7 miles visibility. The temperature was 18 degrees celsius and a dew point of 17 degrees celsius. Approximately 20 minutes later at 0115 local time the visibility had dropped to 1 1/4 miles with scattered clouds at 200 feet and 4800 feet. The national weather service issued an AIRMET sierra for IFR conditions and AIRMET tango for moderate turbulence from the surface to 15,000 feet MSL across northeast Ohio . Both of the airmets were active during the time of the accident.

The aircraft descended at high rate of speed into the trees creating a path approximately 250 to 300 feet long. Damage to the trees progressively got lower until the final impact area. The trees closest to the final impact site had marks from the propeller and a very large tree was sheared off around 6 feet from the ground. The major parts of the aircraft were found all along the path to the final impact site where a portion of the fuselage containing the front and rear seats came to rest. No pre or post impact fire occurred. The single occupant pilot was fatally injured.

Looking at the aircraft the gear and flaps appeared to be retracted. The stabilator trim indicator was showing full nose down trim. All flight controls and all associated control cables were located along the path. The cables had broom-straw fractures consistent with impact overload.

The wing fuel tanks were breached and no fuel was found. All vents and associated parts were clear of any debris. Other parts of the fuel system had impact damage and could not be checked to confirm normal operation. The electric fuel pump worked when power was applied. The engine driven pump was impact damaged and could not be checked.

The engine was heavily damaged from the impact but with some effort it was able to be turned through by had with the intact cylinders showing compression.