(Pilot) Experienced A Medical Emergency And “Blacked Out”

Location: Vineyard Haven, MA Accident Number: ERA23LA300
Date & Time: July 15, 2023, 15:15 Local Registration: N444RR
Aircraft: Piper PA46 Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On July 15, 2023, at 1515 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-46-500TP airplane, N444RR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. The pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight was operated as Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.

According to the passenger, the pilot had just performed a go-around maneuver while on approach to runway 06 at Martha’s Vineyard Airport (MVY), Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, when he experienced a medical emergency and “blacked out.” The passenger, who was not a pilot, assumed the flight controls and maneuvered the airplane for a gear-up landing on airport property. The airplane bounced several times after touchdown then came to rest upright with the left wing fractured. The pilot was transported to a nearby hospital where he died on July 20, 2023. According to the passenger, there were “no mechanical issues whatsoever” that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records, the pilot, age 79, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued June 1, 2023. Previously, the pilot had been granted a third class, special issuance medical certificate which required that the pilot supply extensive documentation of his health conditions as requested by the FAA.

The airplane was not retained.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov