N3952WPiper PA-32-260

On February 22, 2022, about 2241 eastern standard time, a Piper PA32 airplane, N3952W, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Fostoria, Ohio. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight.

The flight was conducted as an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight from Effingham County Memorial Airport (1H2), Effingham, Illinois to Findlay Airport (FDY), Findlay, Ohio. The filed IFR flight plan stipulated a cruise altitude of 9,000 ft mean sea level (msl), an estimated time en route of 1 hour 28 minutes with 4 hours of fuel on board.

A review of archived Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) automatic dependent surveillance broadcast data revealed that the airplane departed 1H2 about 1956 central standard time, climbed to about 7,000 ft msl and proceeded on a relatively direct track toward DOYET, the initial approach fix for the RNAV/GPS runway 25 instrument approach, as shown in figure 1.

Figure 1: Published Instrument Approach Procedure

After passing DOYET, the airplane made about a 30° left turn, consistent with a teardrop entry into the procedure turn. The airplane aligned with the outbound side of the holding pattern for about a mile before turning left again. As the airplane flew north of the published holding pattern in its final minute of flight its altitude decreased from about 3,000 ft to about 2,600 ft before climbing back to about 3,000 ft About 4 nm from the IAF, the airplane turned right, and descended rapidly in a spiral and impacted terrain on a heading of 340° (see figure 2).

Figure 2: Instrument Approach with Flight Track Overlay

A review of commercially available communications data revealed that the last confirmed communication between the accident airplane and air traffic control (ATC) took place when ATC instructed the pilot to cross DOYET at or above 3,000 ft and cleared them for the RNAV runway 25 approach, to which the pilot read back the clearance and altitude restriction. Shortly thereafter, ATC attempted to contact the pilot and subsequently issued a low altitude alert, but no reply or acknowledgement was received.

A witness inside their residence described hearing an airplane low near their house. They described the noise as a loud engine or high rpm engine followed by silence. Another nearby witness saw the lights of the airplane but did not hear anything because they were in a car with the radio on. They said that at first sight, the airplane was estimated between 300 and 500 ft above ground level (agl). When they lost sight of the airplane as it descended behind houses, they estimated the altitude between 150 and 250 ft agl.

The airplane impacted a field in a relatively flat attitude and continued on a 340° track into a forest, where it collided with multiple trees and became highly fragmented. Flight control continuity could not be established due to the highly fragmented nature of the wreckage, but all lengths of control cables were accounted for at the accident location. All major pieces of the airplane were observed at the accident location.

A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Spatial Disorientation

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airplane Flying Handbook (FAAH80833B) described some hazards associated with flying when the ground or horizon are obscured. The handbook states, in part, the following:

The vestibular sense (motion sensing by the inner ear) in particular can and will confuse the pilot. Because of inertia, the sensory areas of the inner ear cannot detect slight changes in airplane attitude, nor can they accurately sense attitude changes that occur at a uniform rate over a period of time. On the other hand, false sensations are often generated, leading the pilot to believe the attitude of the airplane has changed when, in fact, it has not. These false sensations result in the pilot experiencing spatial disorientation.

The FAA Forensic Sciences laboratory performed toxicological testing of postmortem specimens from the pilot. Diphenhydramine was detected in liver and muscle and Doxylamine was detected in muscle; the liver specimen was unsuitable for reporting a doxylamine result. Dextromethorphan was detected in liver and muscle, and the dextromethorphan metabolite dextrorphan was detected in liver (not in muscle).

Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine medication available over the counter in multiple cold and allergy products and sleep aids. Doxylamine is another sedating antihistamine medication that is available over the counter as a sleep aid and as an ingredient in various cold and allergy products. Sedating antihistamines can cause cognitive and psychomotor slowing and drowsiness, and products containing sedating antihistamines often carry warnings that they may impair performance of tasks like driving and operating heavy machinery.,

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, The FAA states that pilots should not fly within 60 hours of using diphenhydramine or doxylamine, to allow time for the drugs to be cleared from circulation.

Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant medication that is available over the counter in a variety of cold and allergy products. Dextrorphan is the main active metabolite of dextromethorphan. Dextromethorphan and dextrorphan are not typically impairing at levels associated with medicinal dextromethorphan use. The FAA states that pilots who use dextromethorphan should observe a waiting period for the drug to be cleared from circulation before flying.