ATL02FA057

The pilot informed the controller that he was having engine problems. The controller asked the pilot what his intentions were and the pilot responded that he would like a vector to Pine Mountain or the nearest airport. The controller provided the pilot with a vector to the nearest airport. The pilot informed the controller that he had a complete loss of engine power. The controller asked how many people were on board and the fuel remaining. The pilot informed the controller that he had 40 gallons of fuel on board and that he was not going to make the airport, and he was going to land in a clearing. Radar contact was lost 8 miles north of Columbus VOR. Examination of the crash site revealed the forced landing area was unsuitable due to trees and high vegetation. Examination of the airplane revealed the left and right wing fuel tanks and left and right auxiliary fuel tanks were ruptured. No browning of vegetation was present along the crash debris line. The fuel caps were secure with a tight seal and there was no evidence of fuel streaking on either the upper or lower surface of the wing. The fuel line was disconnected to the flow divider and no fuel was present. The fuel strainer was manually turned on and about three ounces of fuel was collected. The fuel strainer was removed and about a ounce of fuel was collected. Review of refueling slips revealed the airplane was topped off before departing on the flight. Review of the Pilot's Operating Handbook Performance Section revealed the pilot had enough fuel for the planned flight with reserve fuel available. The engine test run indicates the engine was capable of producing power and there was no discrepancies or anomalies.

History of flight

On February 28, 2002, at 0950 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, N33584, registered to E and F Flying Club LLC, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with tree while attempting a forced landing following a loss of engine power in the vicinity of Hamilton, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot was fatally injured and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from Clearwater, Florida, at 0700.

The review of communications transcripts between Atlanta Approach and the pilot of N33584 revealed that the pilot contacted approach in cruise flight at 4,500 feet enroute to Rome, Georgia. The pilot was issued a transponder code, an altimeter setting, and was asked to contact Atlanta Approach on a different frequency. At 09:14, the airplane was in radar contact 49 miles east south east of Columbus, Georgia. At 09:44:48, the pilot informed the controller that he was having engine problems. The controller asked the pilot what his intentions were and the pilot responded that he would like a vector to Pine Mountain or the nearest airport. The controller informed the pilot that Lennett County Airport was closer and asked the pilot if he needed any help. The controller issued a heading to the pilot and asked him what type of a problem he was experiencing. The pilot informed him that he had a complete engine failure. The controller asked the pilot how many people were on board and the fuel remaining. The pilot informed the controller that he had 40 gallons of fuel that he was not going to make the airport, and was going to land in a clearing. Radar contact was lost 8 miles north of the Columbus VOR.

Another pilot who had been handed off from Atlanta Center to Atlanta Approach stated he heard the pilot in distress on the radio, and asked if he could be of any assistance. The controller provided the pilot with a radar vector and distance to the airplane in distress. Upon arrival in the area, the pilot located the downed airplane, and informed Atlanta Approach that he had the airplane in sight. The controller asked if he had a cell phone and he replied that he did. He was given a telephone number and the pilot directed the Georgia Highway Patrol to the crash site.

Personnel information

Review of information on file with the FAA Airman's Certification Division, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed the pilot was issued a private pilot certificate on October 13, 1992, with ratings for airplane single engine land. Review of records on file with the FAA aero medical records revealed the pilot held a third-class medical certificate issued on January 9, 2002, with the restriction, "holder shall possess glasses that correct for distant vision." The pilot reported on his application for the medical certificate that he had accumulated 1,500 total flight hours. The review of the pilot's logbook revealed the last recorded biennial flight review was conducted on August 24, 2000. The last recorded entry in the pilot's logbook was on July 3, 1986, and showed his total recorded flight time was 748 hours. Review of E and F Flying Club LLC log sheets revealed the pilot had recorded as logged 93.8 hours in the PA-32-300. The pilot had flown 15.5 hours in the last 90 days, 10.9 hours in the last 30 days, and 4.3 hours in the last 24 hours.

Aircraft information

Review of the airplane logbooks revealed the last recorded annual inspection was conducted on April 4, 2001. The engine was overhauled by G and N Aircraft Inc, in Griffin, Indiana, on January 8, 2002, was installed on N33584 on January 19, 2002, and had accumulated 24.9 hours since the overhaul.

Meteorological information

The nearest weather reporting facility at the time of the accident was Columbus, Georgia. The 0855 surface weather observation was: wind 010-degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear, temperature 36 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point temperature 9 degrees Fahrenheit, and altimeter 30.38.

Wreckage and impact information

The wreckage of N33584 was located in an open field adjacent to a residence located on Lickskillet Road in the vicinity of Hamilton, Georgia.

Examination of the crash site revealed the airplane collided with trees. The right outboard wing tip collided with the top of a 50-foot tall tree. The auxiliary fuel tank was ruptured. The right wing collided with a tree about 45 feet above the base of the tree, and a segment of the wing, 8 feet 7 inches outboard of the wing root, was separated. The right main fuel tank was ruptured. There was no browning of vegetation present. The left wing collided with trees separating the outboard wing tip and the left auxiliary fuel tank, which were ruptured. There was no browning of vegetation present. The airplane collided with the ground, and came to rest on a heading of 088-degrees magnetic. The crash debris line extended 186 feet.

The engine assembly was displaced to the left with the propeller and crankshaft intact. The forward baggage compartment was compressed aft and upward. Accordion crushing was present on the left side of the fuselage extending aft from the firewall adjacent to the pilot side instrument panel. The nose wheel was broken and pushed aft. The left and right side of the fuselage was not damaged. The right side of the leading edge of the vertical fin sustained tree impact damage. The left inboard leading edge of the left stabilator sustained impact damage. The right leading edge of the right stabilator sustained damage. The left and right stabilator stops were intact. The rudder was attached to its attachment point and the rudder stops were in place.

The left wing was accelerated forward and the forward and aft left wing attachment bolts were separated. The leading edge of the left wing sustained multiple tree impacts outboard of the wing root. The leading edge of the left wing was buckled aft to the main spar. The left auxiliary fuel cap and the left main fuel cap were secure with a tight seal. The left flap was attached at the attachment points. The flap push pull tube was separated from the flap torque tube. The left aileron was attached to both aileron attachment points. The left aileron bell crank was attached to the aileron attachment points, and the bell crank stops were intact. The left main landing gear remained attached. There was no evidence of fuel streaking on the upper or lower surface of the left wing.

The right wing was compressed aft. The forward wing attachment bolt separated, and the leading edge of the right wing sustained multiple tree impacts outboard of the wing root. The leading edge of the right wing was buckled aft to the main spar. The right auxiliary fuel cap and the right main fuel cap were secure with a tight seal. The right flap was attached at its attachment point. The aileron was attached to the outboard attach point, and a segment of the right aileron remained attached to the inboard hinge. The right aileron bell crank separated from the aileron attachment point and the bell crank stops were intact. The right main landing gear remained attached. There was no evidence of fuel streaking on the upper or lower surface of the right wing.

The fuel line was disconnected after the accident at the engine to the flow divider and no fuel was present. The fuel strainer was manually turned on and about three ounces of fuel was collected. The fuel strainer was removed and about a ½ ounce of fuel was collected. The fuel filter was clear of contamination.

Examination of the airframe and flight controls revealed no evidence of a pre-crash mechanical failure or malfunction. All components necessary for flight were present at the crash site. Continuity of the flight control system was confirmed for pitch, roll, and yaw.

The engine assembly was transported to Atlanta Air Salvage for further analysis. An indepe