N782TM

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 2, 2015, about 1512 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301, N782TM, was destroyed when it collided with terrain following an in-flight breakup near Westminster, South Carolina. The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Smith Family Aviation, LLC, and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Warsaw Municipal Airport (ASW), Warsaw, Indiana, about 1151, and was destined for Oconee County Regional Airport (CEU), Clemson, South Carolina.

According air traffic control information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the en route portion of the flight was uneventful. Due to other traffic landing at CEU and prevailing weather, the pilot was told to expect to hold at the ZEYLM intersection before executing the RNAV runway 7 approach at CEU. At 1504, Atlanta Center coordinated with Greer approach control for the flight to hold at ZEYLM at 6,000 ft mean sea level (msl). Recorded radar data showed that the airplane approached ZEYLM at 6,000 ft on a southeasterly heading. GPS data indicated the airplane track passed over ZEYLM at 1508:08. After passing ZEYLM, the airplane began a turn to the right, consistent with the published holding pattern on the approach chart; however, it continued to turn a full 180° toward the opposite direction. At 1509:19, the flight was cleared for the approach and the pilot reported that he was "outbound now" and would report when the airplane was established on the procedure turn inbound. About 1510:06, at 5,991 ft GPS altitude, the airplane entered an increasingly tightening, descending right turn, and within 16 seconds, its ground speed increased from 150 knots to 212 knots. At 1510:56, the pilot of a military flight, call sign "Blackbird 89," reported hearing a "mayday" call that an airplane was "going down." The controller subsequently queried the pilot when he did not report inbound on the approach; no response was received. Radar data showed the flight in a right, descending spiral until radar contact was lost over Lake Hartwell, on the Georgia/South Carolina border, about 2,200 ft msl. The last recorded GPS point was at 1510:44 in the vicinity of the main wreckage location.

Local residents reported hearing and seeing the airplane before the accident. One witness heard a loud "boom," followed by white pieces of debris falling into the lake. Another witness saw the airplane descending vertically, in a spiral motion, until it disappeared behind a tree line. Another witness reported that the engine was running until ground impact. Several witnesses reported the event to 911, and the wreckage was located by first responders shortly thereafter.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 71, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. He reported 1,448 hours total flight time on his most recent application for an FAA third-class medical certificate, dated October 17, 2013.

A review of the pilot's logbook revealed that the last entry was made on September 21, 2015. At that time, he had logged 1,736.4 total hours, including 1,677.9 hours as pilot-in-command, 125.2 hours actual instrument time, and 59.3 hours simulated instrument time. He logged 148.6 hours during the previous 12 months, including 27.6 hours actual instrument time and 23 instrument approaches. During the 24 months prior to the accident, all of his logged flight time was in the accident airplane. His most recent flight review was completed on August 28, 2015 in the accident airplane. The flight review included three instrument approaches and holding.

The pilot's son, age 44, was seated in the right cockpit seat. He held an FAA student pilot certificate, dated October 17, 2013. At that time, he reported 40 hours of total flight time and 32 hours in the last 6 months. No pilot logbook was found, and no determination could be made of his total flight experience or experience in the accident airplane.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The six-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane was manufactured in 1984. It was powered by a 300-hp Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D reciprocating engine, which drove a Hartzell three-bladed, constant-speed propeller.

According to the maintenance logbooks, the most recent annual inspection of the airframe and engine was completed on October 28, 2014. At that time, the airframe total time was 4,817.5 hours. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accrued about 135 since the annual inspection.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

CEU, located about 14 nautical miles northeast of the accident site, was the closest official weather station. The 1454weather observation included wind from 040° at 10 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, light rain, broken clouds at 1,800 ft, overcast ceiling at 2,300 ft, temperature 17°C, dew point 14°C, and altimeter setting 29.81 inches of mercury.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The main wreckage, which comprised the cabin, cockpit, engine, propeller, left wing, the inboard half of the right wing, and the separated right wing flap, was found inverted in a wooded area about 50 yards north of the shoreline of Lake Hartwell. Downward, vertical scraping damage was observed on adjacent trees. There was no fire.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Evidence Response Team (ERT) assisted investigators in searching for missing sections of the airframe. Numerous pieces of wreckage were found in a wooded area south of the lake. The center of this debris field was about 2,000 ft south the main wreckage, and was about 1,400 ft long and about 500 ft wide. The pieces of wreckage found in this area included the right stabilator outboard section, three sections of the right aileron, right wing tip trailing edge, right wing fuel tank skin with fuel filler port and cap attached, sections of right wing and empennage skin, aft empennage skin with airplane data plate attached, and a tail cone fairing.

Following the land search, the ERT provided resources to search Lake Hartwell for parts of the wreckage still unaccounted for. On December 2, 2015, ERT personnel located the outboard half of the right wing and the left stabilator in the lake. The left stabilator was found in two separate sections. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were not located.

The wreckage was transported to a storage facility for additional examination.

The left wing was still attached to the fuselage. The left main landing gear was extended and locked. The upper wing skin exhibited upward compression buckling, while the bottom skin exhibited stretching with rebound buckling noted between the skin fasteners. The aileron and flap were in place and secure. The left flap was in the retracted position and the flap linkage was in place. The aileron pushrod was in place and connected to the bellcrank. The aileron control cable was connected to the bellcrank and continuous to the aileron control wheel chain. The aileron balance cable was secure to the left aileron bellcrank and continuous to the right wing. The wing tip was in place; however, the wing tip lighting components were separated.

The right wing was in two primary sections, inboard and outboard, along with several small pieces of wing skin, skin reinforcement channels, fuel cell pieces, and other small parts. The inboard section measured about 8.5 ft in length and was secured to the fuselage. The right main landing gear was extended and locked. Compression buckling of the upper wing skin was evident, and the main spar showed a permanent upward and aft deformation. All fracture surfaces exhibited overstress signatures; no evidence of fatigue or corrosion was observed. The separated outboard wing section was about 6.75 ft in length and was recovered from Lake Hartwell . The flap was separated and intact; it was located adjacent to the main wreckage. The right aileron was in three pieces and all pieces were found on land, south of the lake. The aileron bellcrank was connected to the outboard section and was bent in the inboard direction. The aileron control cable was connected to the bellcrank and was continuous for about 4.5 ft outboard of the fuselage, in the area of the wing separation. The remaining position of the control cable was continuous to the aileron control wheel chain. The cable separation displayed broomstraw signatures. The aileron balance cable was secured to the aileron bellcrank and continuous to about 3.7 ft from the fuselage. The balance cable separation displayed broomstraw signatures. The remaining portion of the balance cable was continuous to the left side of the aileron bellcrank.

The empennage assembly was separated from the aft fuselage. The right side of the stabilator was fragmented and the tip was separated. The left side of the stabilator was mostly intact; however, the tip assembly was separated. About two-thirds of the stabilator trim tab was recovered with the left side, and the remaining portion was recovered with the right side. The trim drum was attached to the trim tab and stabilator hinge assembly. The trim drum inner shaft was extended about 2 threads, consistent with a pitch trim setting of about 50% nose down. Both trim cables were pulled and displayed broomstraw separation signatures. The left side of the stabilator main spar structure displayed permanent rearward deformation and most of the skin was separated. Both stabilator hinge points were in place and free to move, although travel was restricted because of impact damage. The stabilator stop bolts were in place, secure, and displayed no damage.

The stabilator balance tube was attached to the spar and the balance weights were in place. The upper control cable was secure and continuous for about 14 inche...