ERA23FA280

A witness reported the airplane appeared to have difficulty gaining altitude after takeoff. He stated the engine sounded muffled and underpowered, and the airplane exhibited a high angle of attack with minimal altitude gain. He saw the airplane enter a slow right turn before the right wing dropped and the airplane descended rapidly in a right turn. The airplane collided with trees and terrain on a golf course and was consumed by postimpact fire. The witness statement, debris path, and impact signatures were consistent with a loss of control and aerodynamic stall. During a postaccident examination of the wreckage, flight control continuity was confirmed. The fuel selector was found in the off position; however, fuel was present in the engine-driven fuel pump, fuel servo, and flow divider, therefore impact forces likely resulted in the as-found position of the fuel selector. The engine crankshaft rotated freely and the cylinders displayed normal compression, suction, and valve operation. Overall, the postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airframe or engine. The airplane was topped off with fuel two days before the accident, and there was no evidence to indicate that additional flights were conducted between that refueling and the accident flight. The combined weight of the fuel, occupants, and luggage indicated that the airplane was likely operating above its maximum gross weight and near its aft center of gravity (CG) limit at the time of the accident. Additionally, the reported weather conditions about the time of the accident resulted in a calculated density altitude of about 2,000 ft. Given this information, the airplane’s overweight condition and the slightly elevated density altitude likely resulted in the airplane’s degraded climb performance during the initial climb, as described by the witness. Additionally, the airplane’s aftward CG loading likely degraded its handling characteristics and contributed to the pilot’s loss of control during initial climb.

The most recent fueling record was for June 30, 2023, at CRE, with no evidence of additional fueling before the accident. During the postaccident examination, remnants of the aircraft and maintenance logbook pages were found burned and scattered throughout the wreckage site. The records were rendered unreadable. Based on a maximum allowable gross weight of 3,600 lbs, weight and balance calculations—derived from estimated occupant weights and the recovered remains of luggage and burned items—indicated the airplane exceeded its maximum gross weight by about 54 lbs at takeoff. The calculated CG was 91.25 inches aft of the datum, which was near the aft CG limit. On July 2, 2023, about 1102 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-300, N5524F, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The private pilot and four passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to family members, on June 30, 2023, two days before the accident, the pilot and passengers flew the accident airplane from Essex County Airport (CDW), Caldwell, New Jersey, to Grand Strand Airport (CRE), North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for a vacation. The airplane was refueled upon arrival at CRE, taking on 69.4 gallons of aviation gasoline. No evidence was found of any subsequent flights before the accident flight. A witness on a golf course near CRE observed the airplane departing runway 23 and climbing with difficulty. He reported that the engine sounded "muffled" and underpowered, and the airplane appeared to struggle to gain altitude, flying with a high angle of attack. The airplane began a shallow right turn, then the right wing dropped, and the airplane rolled onto its side before descending rapidly into terrain. A postimpact fire ensued. Surveillance video showed the airplane during the initial climb with a nose-high attitude. The airplane continued in that attitude until it was no longer visible. The accident site was about two miles from the departure end of runway 23, in a wooded area adjacent to a golf course access road. An autopsy of the pilot was performed by the Medical University of South Carolina. According to the autopsy report, the cause of death was blunt force injuries, and the manner of death was accident. Postmortem toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol at 0.02 g/dL in cavity blood. Ethanol was not detected in vitreous fluid. Ethanol is the intoxicating alcohol in beer, wine, and liquor, and, if consumed, can impair judgment, psychomotor performance, cognition, and vigilance. FAA regulation imposes strict limits on flying after consuming ethanol, including a prohibition on piloting a civil aircraft while having a blood ethanol level of 0.04 g/dL or greater. Alcohol consumption is not the only possible source of ethanol in postmortem specimens. Ethanol sometimes may be produced by microbes in aperson’s body after death, potentially elevating ethanol levels in some postmortem specimens. Vitreous fluid generally is the specimen type best protected against postmortem microbial ethanol production. The weather conditions reported at Conway-Horry County Airport (HYW), Conway, South Carolina, located about 7 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, at 1115, included a temperature of 30° C, a dewpoint of 23° C, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury. The calculated density altitude given these conditions was 1,982 ft. The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. He was issued Basic Med eligibility on December 24, 2022, and previously held an FAA-issued third-class medical certificate. No pilot logbooks or flight review documentation were recovered during the investigation. The airplane impacted trees and terrain in a wooded area about 2 miles west of the runway 23 centerline. The wreckage path was oriented on a 170° magnetic course. The airplane descended through hardwood trees at a downward angle of about 35°. Propeller cut marks were noted on several branches, including one branch with three evenly spaced cuts about 17 inches apart. The right wing separated during impact and was located about 30 ft from the fuselage. The left wing was located beneath the main fuselage and was consumed by postimpact fire. The fuselage and cabin area came to rest on a road and were destroyed by fire. The vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilator were found with the fuselage, with evidence of fire and impact damage. Flight control continuity was confirmed to all surfaces, and cable fractures were consistent with overload failures. The landing gear system components showed the right and left main landing gear were extended, and the nose landing gear was retracted. The landing gear selector was found in the Up position. The engine remained attached to the firewall and exhibited postimpact fire damage. The engine crankshaft rotated freely by hand with compression and suction observed on all cylinders. Valve and rocker arm motion was consistent with normal operation. The spark plugs displayed normal wear, with several noted as oil soaked. The single-drive dual magneto produced spark at all towers. The engine-driven fuel pump, fuel servo, flow divider, and fuel injectors were all found intact, free of obstruction, and functional. Fuel was found in the fuel system at multiple points. The oil system showed no contamination, and the vacuum pump exhibited no anomalies. The three-blade propeller was separated from the engine at the crankshaft flange and exhibited impact and rotational signatures.