N44588Piper PA-32-260 · 1974

On April 7, 2023, at 1443 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32-260, N44588, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Sebastian, Florida. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

Automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B) data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the flight departed X26 about 1330 to the east and flew over the coast of Florida for about 1 hour. During the flight, the pilot flew north and south along the coastline about 4,000 ft mean sea level (msl) then performed several turns, climbs, and descents before returning inland, where he conducted several other maneuvers before returning to the airport. He entered a 5-nautical mile straight-in approach to runway 10, a 3,199-ft-long paved runway.

Several witnesses located in the skydive drop zone about 600 ft from the approach end of runway 10 stated that the airplane was on final approach, appeared slower than normal, and the wings were wobbling as it approached. As the airplane descended to the runway, it touched down hard before bouncing back into the air and displayed a nose-up attitude; there was a simultaneous rapid increase in engine power. The left wing then dropped, and the airplane rolled to the left and descended. The left wing contacted the ground off the side of the runway and cartwheeled about 75 ft before the airplane came to rest.

The pilot held an FAA first-class medical certificate issued on March 8, 2023. Review of his logbook revealed about 606 hours total flight experience and 105 hours in the accident airplane. His most recent flight review was completed on February 12, 2020. The pilot averaged about 4 flights a month at 1.2 hours per flight average in the 12 months before the accident.

The airplane came to rest inverted on the left (pilot’s) side of the fuselage on level terrain north of the runway at an elevation of 22 ft msl. The wreckage path was oriented on a heading of 345° magnetic and ground scars at the initial impact point contained red position light glass and portions of the auxiliary fuel tank. During the impact sequence, the left wing sheared off and the propeller struck the ground, creating 6-inch-deep symmetrical gouges in the soil. The left wing was located next to the engine compartment; its fuel tank contained about 15 gallons of aviation fuel. The right wing fractured at the wing root and was laying over the underside of the airplane supported by cables and fuel lines; it contained about 15 gallons of aviation fuel. The fuel selector, which was found in the right main tank position, was manipulated by hand and operated and showed no evidence of anomaly.

Flight control continuity was established from all primary flight control surfaces to the main cabin area; the left aileron cables were separated and displayed evidence of overload failure. The stabilator trim jackscrew measured 1 inch, consistent with a neutral to nose-up trim position. The flap handle and corresponding flap actuators were in the fully extended position.

The pilot’s seatbelts and shoulder harness were cleanly cut, indicating that the pilot was wearing the harnesses; this was corroborated by fire rescue personnel. The belt buckle operated as designed.

The forward fuselage was buckled and crumpled in several areas but remained mostly intact from the right side of the cockpit and aft to the empennage. The most severe damage was to the left side of the forward cockpit. The engine compartment was compromised by impact forces, displacing the engine and propeller slightly. Examination of the cockpit revealed that all engine and propeller controls were in the full forward position.

There was no evidence of a post-impact fire. The carburetor was impact-separated, but remained with the engine via the control cables. The fuel line from the engine-driven fuel pump to the carburetor was intact and undamaged. The line was removed, and no fuel was present. The electric fuel pump was turned on and operated. The engine drive fuel pump was fractured at the mounting flange and remained with the engine via the connecting fuel lines. Both left and right magnetos were removed and manually operated; both magnetos produced robust spark at each of the posts. The spark plugs displayed normal coloration and normal electrodes as compared to the Champion Aerospace AV-27 Check-A-Plug chart.

The oil filter contained no foreign debris or ferrous material. The oil appeared dark brown in color and all lubricated components appeared to be well lubricated.

The engine crankcase was manually rotated 720° degrees. Powertrain continuity was confirmed and all pistons, and the valve springs and pushrods operated as designed. There was adequate compression on each of the six cylinders. Continuity of the crankshaft to the camshaft was confirmed throughout the engine.

The propeller hub remained attached to the flange and both blades were damaged. Both “A” and “B” propeller blades showed evidence of abrasive polishing on the outer 12 inches of blade tip. The A blade contained a compound bend and twist and bending in the opposite direction of rotation. There was also a buckling wave bend on the trailing edge.

No airframe or engine anomalies were discovered that would have precluded normal operation.

An autopsy of the pilot was performed by the Medical Examiner Department, District 19, St. Lucie, Martin, Indican River and Okeechobee Counties, Florida. The pilot’s cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries and manner of death was an accident.

Toxicology testing performed by the FAA’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory did not detect any substance that would be considered impairing. Additional testing was conducted postmortem by Steward Reference Laboratory of Melbourne, Florida, and was negative for alcohol and illicit substances.