Asheboro, NC, USA
N2FB
PIPER PA28
The private pilot and a student pilot passenger were returning to their home airport in dark night visual meteorological conditions. The pilot reported on the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency that he intended to overfly the runway from west to east and turn left onto the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern for a landing to the southwest. Instead, the airplane turned right after crossing the airport and proceeded south. Radar data revealed that the airplane completed a right 360° turn about 2 miles south of the airport, where witnesses saw the airplane circling over a local high school football game. Witnesses reported that the airplane then entered a steep, nose-down descent and the engine continued to run at high speed during the descent. The last radar target was over the area of the accident site. The accident site was located in a rural, wooded area, and fragmentation of the wreckage at the site was consistent with a high-energy impact. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or anomaly. Another pilot, who flew the accident airplane earlier on the day of the accident, reported that the vacuum pump was inoperative and that the vacuum instruments were unreliable and would drift during flight. Due to extensive impact damage to the flight instruments and vacuum system, the condition of the flight instruments and whether they may have contributed to the accident could not be determined. An unidentified instrument gyro exhibited signs of rotation at impact. The pilot, who owned the airplane, did not have a current flight review, and his most recent night flight experience was recorded over 10 years before the accident. The dark night conditions present at the time of the accident and the pilot’s lack of recent night flying experience were conducive to the development of spatial disorientation, and the airplane’s high-speed impact was consistent with the known effects of spatial disorientation. Toxicology testing of the pilot revealed the primary psychoactive metabolite of marijuana only in liver tissue and its inactive metabolite in liver and kidney tissue samples. While tissue analysis cannot be used to determine recent usage and possible effects, the concentrations suggested that the pilot was not a chronic user; the distribution of metabolites also suggested that his marijuana use was not very recent. Given the known circumstances of the accident, it is unlikely that the pilot’s use of marijuana contributed to the accident. Toxicology also identified the presence of ethanol in tissue samples from both the pilot and passenger; however, it is likely that some or all of the identified ethanol was the result of postmortem production. Based on the available information, it is likely that, while maneuvering over sparsely populated terrain in dark night conditions, the pilot experienced spatial disorientation, which resulted in a subsequent loss of airplane control.
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 4, 2019, about 2033 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N2FB, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Asheboro, North Carolina. The private pilot and a student pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. Earlier in the day, the accident pilot flew as a passenger in the accident airplane from Asheboro Regional Airport (HBI), Asheboro, North Carolina, to Knoxville Downtown Island Airport (DKX), Knoxville, Tennessee, to purchase another airplane. Once the transaction was completed, one of the passengers, who was a rated pilot, flew the newly purchased airplane to HBI. The accident pilot and passenger departed DKX about 30 minutes later with the accident pilot seated in the left seat. The seller of the other airplane reported that the accident pilot, before departure, made a remark about being tired, and that his passenger needed to be "on his game." The pilot of the purchased airplane arrived at HBI and waited for the arrival of the accident airplane. He heard the accident pilot announce his intentions to overfly the field from west to east and enter the left downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern for runway 21. He watched the airplane overfly the field from west to east and appear to turn left and disappear behind some trees. He also reported that dark night conditions prevailed at the time. After the airplane did not arrive at the airport, a search was initiated. Radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed a target with a visual flight rules (VFR) transponder code that was correlated to be the accident airplane. The target arrived overhead HBI about 2029 from the west before turning southbound (right). The airplane made a 360° right turn about 2 miles south of runway 3 before resuming a southwesterly heading. The last target was at 2032:55 over the area of the accident site. Witnesses reported that the airplane circled over the local high school, where a football game was in progress. The airplane then entered a steep, nose-down descent during which the engine continued to run at high speed. The pilot of the purchased airplane, who flew the accident airplane to DKX earlier that day, reported that the accident airplane’s vacuum pump was not operational and the vacuum instruments were not reliable. The accident pilot was aware of the vacuum problem but did not voice any concerns about flying at night with the condition. According to the pilot of the purchased airplane, the accident pilot had mentioned to him previously that he did not enjoy night flying. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe accident pilot, who owned the airplane, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. Review of his logbook revealed that he had logged a total of 4.6 hours of flight experience at night, and had not recorded any night experience since 2008. His most recent flight review was completed on January 6, 2016. His most recent FAA medical certificate was issued in June 2015. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe aircraft and engine logbooks were not located after the accident. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONThe accident occurred about 2033. On the evening of the accident, the moon set about 1959. At 2032, the moon's elevation angle was 10.58° below the horizon. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe aircraft and engine logbooks were not located after the accident. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe accident site was located in a wooded area about 2 miles south-southeast of HBI. The initial point of impact was an 80-foot-tall oak tree, and a large section of the right wing remained lodged in the tree about 50 ft above the ground. The main wreckage was located about 75 ft east of the initial impact point. The wreckage debris path was about 208 ft long and 108 ft wide and oriented on a heading of 080º. The wings and fuselage were highly fragmented. There was no fire. The engine was separated from the airframe during ground impact. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit area to the flight control surfaces. The instrument panel and firewall were fragmented and destroyed, with remnants of both imbedded and conformed into the rear section of the engine. The avionics and instruments were impact-damaged and destroyed, which prevented recording of usable data. An unidentified gyro and gyro housing were separated and located inside the debris field; the gyro housing exhibited scoring on the inside of the housing and the gyro exhibited rotational damage. The vacuum pump was removed from the engine and disassembled on scene; the drive coupling was sheared, and the rotor assembly was fractured. The flap position could not be determined due to impact damage. The stabilator trim was found in a partial nose-up position. The engine exhibited impact damage throughout. Both magnetos were impact damaged and could not be tested; one magneto was separated from the engine. The carburetor was broken away from the induction system by impact forces. The fixed-pitch aluminum propeller was partially buried in the ground. Some twisting was observed on the blade protruding from the ground. Following removal of the engine from the crater by aircraft recovery personnel, the other propeller blade was seen fracture-separated near the hub. The separated blade exhibited polishing and chordwise scoring to the cambered face and curling near the tip. Sections of wood were located along the debris path exhibiting angled cuts consistent with being cut by the propeller under power. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATIONAccording to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Raleigh, North Carolina, the pilot’s cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was accident. The exam was limited by extensive injuries; no contributory natural disease was identified by the medical examiner. Toxicology testing performed by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol in the pilot's brain tissue at 0.014 grams per hectogram (gm/hg), but not in muscle. Meloxicam, a non-impairing medication used to treat arthritic pain and inflammation, was detected in liver and muscle tissue. Toxicology testing detected marijuana's primary psychoactive chemical, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in the private pilot's liver, kidney, and lung tissue; the equally psychoactive metabolite, 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC, in liver tissue; and the inactive metabolite, carboxy-delta-9-THC (THC-COOH), in liver and kidney tissue. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Raleigh, North Carolina autopsy report, the passenger’s cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was accident. While the exam was limited by extensive injuries, no significant natural disease was identified. Toxicology testing performed by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol in the student pilot-rated passenger's brain and muscle tissue at 0.032 gm/hg and 0.043 gm/hg, respectively; n-propanol was also detected in muscle tissue. No other tested for drugs were detected in muscle. Ethanol Ethanol is a social drug commonly consumed by drinking beer, wine, or liquor. It acts as a central nervous system depressant; it impairs judgment, psychomotor functioning, and vigilance. Ethanol is water soluble, and after absorption it quickly and uniformly distributes throughout the body's tissues and fluids. The distribution pattern parallels water content and blood supply of the tissue. A small amount of ethanol can be produced after death by microbial activity, usually in conjunction with other alcohols, such as propanol. Marijuana The marijuana plant (Cannabis sativa) contains chemicals called cannabinoids; tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive cannabinoid compound. THC's mood-altering effects include euphoria and relaxation. In addition, marijuana causes alterations in motor behavior, time and space perception, and cognition. Significant performance impairments are usually observed for at least 1-2 hours following marijuana use, and residual effects have been reported up to 24 hours. THC is rapidly metabolized, but the rate of metabolism is not linear and depends on the means of ingestion (smoking, oil, and edibles), potency of the product, frequency of use, and user characteristics. The primary metabolite, 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC, is equally psychoactive, but is rapidly metabolized to the non-psychoactive metabolite THC-COOH. THC is fat soluble, so is stored in fatty tissues and can be released back into the blood long after consumption. So, while the psychoactive effects may last a few hours, THC can be detected in the body for days or weeks. Thus, test results do not necessarily reflect recent use and cannot be used to prove that the user was under the influence of the drug at the time of testing.
The pilot’s loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in a collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent night flight experience.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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