ATL04FA027

The flight was cleared for the ILS runway 5 approach. The last recorded radar position showed the airplane at an altitude of approximately 1800 feet mean sea level, aligned with the runway 5 localizer 2.8 nautical miles from the runway threshold. A witness near the accident site heard the airplane's engines rev up, then heard popping and crashing noises and saw the airplane on the ground in flames. The wreckage was located in a wooded area 0.7 nautical miles from the runway 5 threshold about 950 feet to the right of the center of the runway 5 localizer course. Examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction with the airframe or engines. A co-worker of the pilot reported the flight initially departed Spartanburg, South Carolina, as a business flight that morning. The pilot flew the airplane to Lawrenceville, Georgia, then to Lexington, Kentucky, and then to Evansville, Indiana. The pilot dropped off his last passenger in Evansville, Indiana, and elected to return to Spartanburg, South Carolina. A family member stated the pilot had a cold and "had the sniffles." A co-worker of the pilot stated he noticed the pilot seemed to have a cold two days prior to the accident, and he stated the pilot "seemed fine" the day of the accident. Forensic toxicology revealed 0.008 ug/ml, ug/g brompheniramine was detected in the blood, and brompheniramine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine were detected in the urine. Title 14 CFR Part 91.17, Alcohol or Drugs, states, "(a) No person may act ... as a crewmember of a civil aircraft ... (3) While using any drug that affects the person's faculties in a way contrary to safety ...."

History of flight

On October 26, 2003, at 2210 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-30, N7799Y, registered to and operated by Concept Displays LLC, collided with trees and the ground during approach to Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport, Spartanburg, South Carolina. The positioning flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with an instrument flight plan filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The commercial pilot received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed by impact and post-crash fire. The flight departed Evansville, Indiana, at 1900 central standard time on October 26, 2003.

A review of air traffic control records revealed the pilot made his initial contact with the Greer [South Carolina] Approach controller at 2148:14. The pilot was provided the Greer altimeter setting and was instructed to expect the ILS [instrument landing system] runway 5 approach at Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport. The pilot acknowledged and stated, "we have the AWOS [automated weather observing system] at Spartanburg we'll expect the ILS to five." At 2149:39 the controller stated, "nine nine yankee area of weather eleven o'clock ten miles about three mile diameter even with most of my weather filtered out it's still showing up so I guess it's best to take you around it." The pilot stated, "okay that will be just fine I appreciate that." The controller provided vectors, and at 2152:37 the controller stated, "twin comanche nine nine yankee looks like you are passing the weather now turn left heading one six zero," and the pilot acknowledged. The controller continued to provide vectors, cleared the flight to descend, and at 2204:39 the controller stated, "twin comanche nine nine yankee is niner miles from the runway turn left heading zero eight zero maintain two thousand five hundred 'til established on the localizer cleared ILS runway five approach." The pilot acknowledged, and the controller approved a change to the Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport common traffic advisory frequency. At 2206:11, the pilot stated, "change to advisory frequency approved nine nine yankee." No further radio contact was made with the flight.

A review of radar data revealed the flight intercepted the runway 5 localizer and descended on course toward the airport. About 2208:51, the last recorded radar position showed the airplane at an altitude of approximately 1800 feet mean sea level, aligned with the runway 5 localizer 2.8 nautical miles from the runway threshold; according to air traffic control personnel, the position where the flight was last seen on radar was the expected lower limit of the radar coverage for the area. About 2215, the Greer Approach controller received a telephone call from the Spartanburg 911 operator reporting a downed airplane.

Witnesses in residences near the airport reported hearing a low-flying airplane they described as "very loud," and one witness stated he heard the airplane's engines rev up, followed by popping and crashing noises. The witness saw the airplane on the ground in flames and telephoned the 911 operator.

Personnel information

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot held a second class medical certificate issued August 18, 2003, with the restriction, "must wear corrective lenses." The pilot's logbook was not recovered for examination. A review of records on file with the Federal Aviation Administration revealed the pilot reported 1921 total civilian flight hours on his most recent application for an airman medical certificate.

Aircraft information

The Piper PA-30 was manufactured in 1965 and was powered by two Lycoming IO-320-B1A, 160-horsepower engines. A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed an annual inspection and the installation of two factory-overhauled engines were completed on May 28, 2003, at an airframe total time of 6948 hours, right engine hobbs meter reading of 1992 hours, and left engine hobbs meter reading of 1988 hours. The most recent maintenance logbook entry dated October 16, 2003, for an exhaust repair, recorded the left and right hobbs meter readings as 2162.54 and 2166.25 hours, respectively.

Meteorological information

The airport manager at Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport, Spartanburg, South Carolina, provided records of the airport's AWOS observations. According to the records, at 2141 sky conditions were overcast at 200 feet above ground level (AGL) and visibility 1 3/4 statue miles with haze; at 2201 sky conditions were overcast at 200 feet AGL and visibility 1 statute mile with haze; and at 2221 sky conditions were overcast at 200 feet AGL and visibility 1/2 statute mile with light rain.

Wreckage and impact information

Examination of the accident site revealed wreckage was in a wooded area 0.7 nautical miles from the runway 5 threshold about 950 feet to the right of the center of the runway 5 localizer course. Wreckage debris was scattered approximately 300 feet along a 110-degree magnetic heading from a tree broken approximately 75 feet above the ground. Near the base of the tree were fragments of clear window plastic. The cockpit glareshield, the outboard section of the right aileron, and the right wing tip tank were at the base of trees near the beginning of the wreckage debris path. The fuselage, inboard sections of the wings, and the engines were on the ground at the end of the wreckage debris path amid charred trees and ground.

The fuselage was inverted and fire-damaged; the cockpit and the cabin forward of the empennage was consumed by fire down to the cabin roof, and the cabin door was separated. The cockpit instruments, avionics, and throttle quadrant were crushed and fire-damaged, and the fuel selector valves were separated and fire-damaged. The left fuel selector valve was positioned to the left main fuel tank. Examination revealed the valve moved freely, the ports were free of obstruction, and the screen was fire-damaged and free of obstruction. The right fuel selector valve was positioned to the right main fuel tank. Examination revealed the valve could not be moved, the ports were free of obstruction, and the screen was fire-damaged and free of obstruction.

The inboard nine feet of the left wing were fire-damaged, and the leading edge of the outboard wing was crushed aft to the main spar. The pitot tube was crushed with tree bark embedded, and the engine was separated. The main and auxiliary fuel bladders were breached, the tip tank was separated, and fuel was recovered from the tip tank. The left main landing gear was in the retracted position. The left aileron was attached to the airframe at the inboard attachment with the balance weight in place; the aileron push-pull rod was bent and separated at the aileron attachment. The left aileron bellcrank stops were in place, and both aileron cables were attached to the bellcrank. Continuity for the aileron primary control cable was established from the bellcrank to the chain at the cockpit yoke control. Continuity for the aileron balance cable was established from the bellcrank to a separation in the mid-cabin area. The left flap was crushed and fire-damaged and attached to the airframe at the outboard and middle flap tracks, and the flap was in the down position. The flap was attached to the bellcrank with the cable separated at the turnbuckle, which was bent.

The inboard six feet of the right wing were fire-damaged, the middle and outboard sections of the wing were crushed and separated, and the main spar was bent aft approximately 45 degrees. The engine was separated. The main and auxiliary fuel bladders were breached, the tip tank was separated, and fuel was recovered from the tip tank. The upper wing skin of the outboard six feet of the wing was crushed aft with tree bark embedded. The aileron was separated from the airframe and s